Ohanaeze youths disown Isiguzoro over attack on Abaribe
* Insist minority leader’s proposed bill on armed forces panacea to Nigeria’s security challenges
By Steve Oko
The youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has disowned its former National President, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro over his recent media attack on Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.
OYC in a press statement by its incumbent National President, Comrade Igboayaka. O Igboayaka, said Isiguzoro had since ceased to be its helmsman, and lacked the locus and mandate to speak for the group.
Besides, the apex Igbo youths body argued that Abaribe’s proposed bill on Armed Forces if finally passed into law, would address the lingering lopsidedness in the Army as well as the security challenges in the country, hence criticising the proposal makes no meaning.
Isiguzoro had in a recent press release purportedly by OYC dismissed Abaribe’s proposed bill as anti people and one capable of generating bad blood among members of the Armed Forces.
But peeved by the purported statement by Isiguzoro, OYC said he had been dismissed and could not issued statements on its behalf again.
OYC also accused Isiguzoro of working for Northern interest, urging members of the public to disregard him and his co-travellers.
National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka has stated that
“The Armed Forces Bill proposed by Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe has in its entirety a human cum Nigeria face and should be embraced by all reasonable Nigerians”, OYC said in the statement signed by Chukwuemeka Chimerue, Media Aide to its National President.
The statement further said “Isiguzoro has since become an impostor using a nonexistent group called ‘Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide’ to hoodwink and deceive politicians and the public in general, especially after his expulsion by the leadership caucus of the parent body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by Chief Nnia Nwodo.”
OYC further said that :”the so-called Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide which Okechukwu Isiguzoro now parades was formed by Fulani cabals to confuse the general public and Ndigbo at large.”
It read in part :”We wish to alert Ndigbo in particular and the general public at large to be wary of the antics and shenanigans of Mazi Okechukwu Isigusoro and Co who are deeply funded by Fulani cabals to play a smart politics against the overall interest of Ndigbo.
“He has been engaged by Northern cabals and enemies of Ndigbo in countering and truncating many moves and spirited efforts by true Igbo sons and daughters to uplift the sufferings of the people.
“Okechukwu Isiguzoro as an insatiable fellow is ready to go at any length to satisfy his paymasters in order to ensure that his daily bread is guaranteed.”
Continuing it read :”OYC wishes to state categorically that the press statement issued by Isiguzoro with the name “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide” rejecting the Armed Forces Bill by our illustrious distinguish Senator is just a continuation of an ill-intended script written by a Northern political group which goes by the name ‘National Democratic Front (NDF)’ wherein the group being sponsored by some Fulani cabals rejected the said Armed Forces Bill.
“A thorough look at Okechukwu Isiguzoro’s press release will suggest to any discerning mind that he copied the same statement of the so-called National Democratic Front to fight Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe and Nigerians.
“At this juncture, we therefore inform the general public and Ndigbo in particular that henceforth, any release or statement issued by Okechukwu Isiguzoro and his cohorts should be ignored and treated as one coming from an impostor who has sold his conscience to feed from the leftovers on the Fulani table.
“The wild claim by the so-called NDF Secretary-General, Abdulkadir Bolaji and its accomplice Okechukwu Isiguzoro, whom were both representing the selfish and inordinate interest of the cabal, that “the Bill is targeted at destroying the revered Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” is at best, unthinkable and unbecoming of people who lack the basic knowledge of the democratic problems and challenges facing Nigeria. There is no reasonable Nigerian that will take them serious.”
OYC argued that Abaribe’s bill, if considered, would “unite all Nigerians”, stressing that the bill will put an end to the intimidation and wanton killing of innocent Nigerians by armed security personnel.
“If the bill has been in existence what happened in December 2015 in Zaria were the Shi’ites group were killed in thousands, wouldn’t have happened”, it said.
OYC further stated that according to Intersociety’s report, no fewer than “480 armless and innocent Igbo youths were killed by Nigerian security operatives and over 500 injured in the military massacres in the old Eastern Nigeria from August 2015 to September 2017.”
“It is on record that these killings took place in Onitsha, Nkpor, Portharcourt, Asaba, Aba, Uyo, Afaraukwu, Nnewi, Enugu, etc”, it said.
The statement said “It’s unfortunate that those who lack the indebt knowledge of Sen. Abaribe’s Armed Forces Bill might tomorrow fall victim from a trigger-happy Nigeria armed force men.”
“Abaribe’s Armed Forces Bill hopes to establish an Armed Forces Commission that will be answerable to Nigerians and have an Armed Force that belongs to Nigerians instead of one controlled irrationally by the President”, OYC said.
“This is the first time a Bill at the National Assembly is having the Face of Nigerians instead of having the face of a politician. If signed into law, the Bill will ensure the protection of all Nigerians from all works of life.”
OYC urged Nigerians and civil society groups “who may wish to counter the Bill to rather look inwardly at the benefits of the Bill to Nigerians rather than the sponsors of the Bill, because he is an Igbo.”
OYC said “Nigeria should not miss the opportunity of Sen. Abaribe’s Armed Force Bill like the proposal of Dr. Alex Ekwueme when he opted for Restructuring in 1994/95 National Constitutional Conference but was opposed by Alhaji Atiku Abubarka because the proposal came from an Igbo man.”
” We lost that opportunity then during the military era, while those who opposed Dr. Alex Ekwueme then are now the people championing Restructuring today.
“Therefore, at this stage of nation building, we must subdue every sentiment, biasness or tribalistic mindset and embrace Abaribe’s Armed Forces Bill.
“It’s obvious that those against this Bill are the real enemies of the development of the country’s democracy and we have identified them.”
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