July 28, (THEWILL) – The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has assured the people of Southeast, residents in the North and Southwest that they would neither be intimidated nor harassed during the nationwide planned protest.
Ohanaeze, therefore, in a statement through her Secretary-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, extends her heartfelt commendation to the Minister of State for Defence, Hon. Bello Matawalle and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, for putting measures in place to protect the lives and properties of Ndigbo in the North and Southwest.
THEWILL recalls that Ndigbo traders and people had earlier pulled out of the nationwide protest and commended the indefatigable efforts of the Minister of Defence and the National Security Adviser, to thwart the politically motivated nationwide protests slated to commence from August 1 to 10, 2024.
The statement reads: “In light of the looming threat of nationwide protests in Nigeria, there has been a noticeable exodus of Nigerian politicians to foreign lands, leaving behind a sense of trepidation among the populace. The mass relocation of top government officials, political elites and prominent businessmen abroad has ignited fears among Nigerians, particularly the Igbo residents in the North and Southwest states.
“The distinguished Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, wishes to extend its heartfelt commendation to the Minister of State for Defence, Hon. Bello Matawalle, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, for their indefatigable efforts in thwarting the politically motivated nationwide protests slated to commence from August 1 to 10, 2024.
“Ohanaeze had previously urged Igbo residents in the Northern and Southwestern States to refrain from participating in the upcoming protests, aligning with our stance against violence and advocating for peaceful conflict resolution.
Rest assured, Ndigbo at home and in the diaspora, that comprehensive security measures will be implemented by the Ministry of State for Defence and the Office of the National Security Adviser to prevent any form of harassment, intimidation, or harm to Igbo lives and properties in the North and Southwest regions, as Igbo traders and residents have united in boycotting the planned nationwide protests.
“We implore the organisers of the August 1, to 10, 2024, protests to embrace dialogue with President Tinubu and seek a peaceful resolution without the occurrence of casualties. It has come to our knowledge that foreign mercenaries, in collusion with unpatriotic politicians, are striving to ignite turmoil in Nigeria, using the Igbo people as scapegoats.
“However, the withdrawal of Igbo residents from the protests has disrupted the plans of these schemers, evoking apprehension that they may resort to inciting violence against the Igbo populace to coerce their participation.
“MAZI OKECHUKWU ISIGUZORO, the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, emphasises that the refusal of Igbo residents to partake in the protests thwarts the malevolent intentions of the instigators. It is imperative that the Presidency, through the Minister of State for Defence, Hon. Bello Matawalle and the National Security Adviser, remains steadfast in safeguarding Igbo residents in the North and Southwest against any form of molestation or intimidation.
“Notably, there will be no protests in the Southeast, as our expectation is for Igbo Youths to proactively prevent any attempts to incite unrest in the region.
“In solidarity, we must uphold the values of peace, unity and non-violence, standing resolute in our commitment to a harmonious nation”, he charged.
Sunday Ogbu is a professional journalist with eight - twelve years experience that had worked with various print and online media. Sunday specializes in news reporting with the aim of educating his readers on current social, political and economic occurences within his area of coverage. Sunday is a strong force to work with in the media industry and uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. Sunday is inspired daily by his wife and their four children. In his free time, Sunday likes sight-seeing, reading and discussing issues of societal interest.
