By Emmanuel Okoro-October 20, 2021, News/Comments
INTERVIEW-Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, Chairman, Council of Igbo Elders (CIEs) has responded to an interview granted to a former Chairman of DAAR Communications PLC during the week, High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, when he said that an Igbo man cannot be trusted with the position of the Presidency because he can compromise the breaking away of secessionists. His outburst: “If nobody has told Ohanaeze Ndigbo before, the concern today from some other regions is that if Nnamdi Kanu plays the role of Aguiyi Ironsi in leading a militant revolt against constitutional government in the South-East under Igbo presidency, the president will be pressured by his base to facilitate the UN processes for the South-East to call for independence from Nigeria. Thus an Igbo president may be compromised in protecting the political and geographic boundaries of Nigeria whilst Nigeria remains under the threat of IPOB’s secessionist activities.”
Iwuanyanwu, however, wondered why such a statement would come from a man the society holds in high esteem but described it as mere words seeking to achieve popularity and self-praise, insisting that Igbos all from independence has always wanted a united Nigeria where justice, equity and fairness are respected. He therefore advised Dokpesi to promote unity not division.
“What he said is just like somebody who says if you give the presidency to somebody from North-East or North-West that the people will break away because Boko Haram want to break away from Nigeria.
“Boko Haram has even conquered part of those places and occupied some local governments. There is no local government in South-East where you have everybody saying this is Biafra apart from the protest which stemmed from injustice and unfair treatment of Igbos in Nigeria.” The Publisher of Champion Newspapers said the argument of Chief Dokpesi was faulty.
Continuing, he stressed that there are problems all over the country, and all must be guided in their utterance while speaking.
“The truth is that there is problem all over the country, North-East and North-West you have the problem of Boko Haram and ISWAP and they have even come up in the Middle-Belt.
“In the South-West, we have Oduduwa groups; in the South-East, we have pro-Biafra groups; South-South too have people agitating.
“So, the truth is that all patriotic Nigerians should come together, and do whatever we can to unite Nigeria, and you don’t do that by discriminating against any tribe.”
The elder statesman however admonished Dokpesi to preach justice, equity and fairness not sectional statement capable of dividing the country more.
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