Tag: Ohanaeze

Senators from the South East  yesterday decried the ongoing military show of force in tand around Umuahia, the Abia State capital.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo also urged the military to call off its operation.

A statement by the Senate caucus chairman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, condemned the alleged military incursions into the country home of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.

The statement said: “We had hoped that our ongoing engagement with the group be given a chance, and here we are, with a hurried military action deep into a highly populated area with high propensity for casualty, which occurrence would rather escalate the already tense situation.

“It is more worrisome that the Military’s operation ‘Python Dance 2’ restricted to the South East in a peace time, has no doubt fouled the environment and sent strong signal that the region is under siege, which should not be so in a democracy.

“We therefore urge extreme caution, and advise the military to de-escalate the situation and choose the best  operational modus that will not only guaranty the safety of Nigerians, but also enhance national unity.

“Nigeria is not at war. People are only exercising their constitutional and universally guaranteed rights. So far they are carrying on in a manner that has never given room to violence which could warrant a wholesale military expedition.”

Ohanaeze’s President General John Nwodo said Nigeria does not need such deliberate and proactive escalation of tensions and crisis.

He urged the government to use civilised and established practices to resolve our democratic and security challenges rather than resort to the use of brute force in resolution of issue of self-determination.

Nwodo said:“Ohaneze Ndigbo considers this development as unfortunate.  We believe that it is a deliberate invasion of a quiet homestead, an act of provocation and a continuing policy of intimidation.

“Ohaneze Ndigbo is left with no alternative than to conclude that this is a containment policy aimed at the South East to intimidate our people from freely expressing their anger and angst at their marginalisation and treatment as second class citizens.

“In a democracy the level of disenchantment expressed by the people of the South East of Nigeria ought to have provoked a serious dialogue between our people and the Federal Executive and the Legislature.

“History teaches us that the continuous use of force to silence dissent and free speech will only accelerate the growth of dissent and dissatisfaction. Fundamental Rights of freedom of expression are critical for a successful democracy.”

Nwodo said claims that the operation is aimed at checking increased crime rate in the region had evidence, adding that Python dance one was used to extort money from our people.

According to him, the first operation embarked upon by the military never addressed the issue of crime more so by Police record the South East is not the worst in crime rate in the country.

“Our people were shamelessly intimidated and harassed at these check points. Operation Python Dance 1 procured no arrests of criminals that were prosecuted for any of the criminal activities that Operation Python Dance II is supposed to address.

“Instead it witnessed reckless and indiscriminate murder of self-determination agitators in Asaba, Aba, Nkpor, and Port – Harcourt numbering up to 191 by the estimates of Transparency International and shattered public confidence of South Easterners in the Nigerian Army and police,” he added.

The South East-South South Network (SESSNet) also condemned “the invasion of the leader of Independent People of Biafra (IPOB),Nnamdi Kanu’s home in Umuahia by security operatives”

•Igbo group accuses AGF of bias •It smacks of state sponsored terrorism, says Kanu’s group

The President of the Igbo apex socio-political organisation, Ohanaeze, Chief John Nwodo, yesterday rejected the planned re-arrest of the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, by the federal government.

Federal Attorney-General, Justice Minister   Abubakar Malami (SAN), announced on Friday that government had approached a high court to revoke Kanu’s bail for allegedly violating the conditions attached to the bail.

But Nwodo, reacting to the AGF’s statement, accused him of bias.

He wondered why Malami failed to move against the Arewa youths who gave Igbo residing in the north an October 1 ultimatum to leave.

He said Kanu is free as a citizen to hold any point of view no matter how displeasing to anyone, as long as such a view is not inciting or provoking any criminal activities.

Nwodo, who made the association’s stance known in a statement in Abuja, warned the AGF against exacerbating the tension in the country.

He said: “It has just been brought to my notice that the Attorney-General of the Federation has approached the courts to incarcerate Nnamdi Kanu for flouting his bail conditions.

“I am amazed that the distinguished attorney is prepared to contest the superiority of the provisions of the constitution on fundamental human rights of freedom of movement and freedom of association over an erroneous judicial proclamation violating those rights.

“I am equally miffed by the audacity with which the Attorney-General displays his bias without regard to his oath of office.

“A few hours ago under the watchful eyes of the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and in total defiance of the Head of State’s proclamation of the rights of a citizen of Nigeria to live anywhere in Nigeria and to do business anywhere in Nigeria, the Arewa youths, pretending to withdraw their quit notice gave qualifications to the president’s proclamation, issuing conditions for enjoyment of citizenship status.”

He added: “These same Arewa Youths are supposed to have been arrested on the orders of the Governor of Kaduna State and the Inspector General of Police for acts of treason, conversion and sedition.

“As the Chief Law officer of the Federation the Attorney-General looks the other way.  He does not go to court to seek an order of arrest or prosecution.

“Nnamdi, as a citizen of Nigeria, is free to hold any point of view no matter how displeasing to anyone so long as it is not inciting or provoking any criminal activities.”

Nwodo said although he and some Igbo leaders had disagreed with Kanu and Radio Biafra on a number of issues, they have upheld his right to differ in the spirit of democracy.

He warned the AGF against aggravating the tension in the country by re-arresting the IPOB leader.

He said:  “I and some Igbo leaders have differences of opinion with Nnamdi on a number of issues.  We have been insulted and abused by Radio Biafra but we concede them their right to differ from us.  We concede them their nature to be exuberant as youths but we cannot be judgmental about their rights.

“This is a democracy.  In democracies leaders are abused, pelted with rotten eggs and booed at, as the former Edo State Governor was booed in Abuja a few days ago.  These acts are not necessarily criminal.

“I urge the Attorney-General not to exacerbate our already tense nation by commencing a legal action which portrays him as biased, insensitive and misdirected.”

The federal government wants the Federal High Court, Abuja, to revoke the April 25 bail granted Kanu for allegedly breaching the conditions attached to the bail.

Besides, government also requests an order directing Kanu’s arrest and committing him to custody pending trial as well as any such order the court may deem fit in the circumstance.

Kanu is facing trial for alleged offences of conspiracy to commit acts of treasonable felony and other related offences.

“The offence for which he is standing trial is not ordinarily bailable but due to the magnanimity of the court and its quest for justice and fairness, he was granted bail on health grounds,” Malami said through his spokesman, Salihu Isah.

“Among the other conditions for his bail is that he should not be seen in a crowd exceeding 10 people and he should not grant any interviews, hold or attend any rallies.

“And that he should file in court, medical updates of his health status every month. But rather than observing all of the conditions listed above, Kanu, in flagrant disobedience to the court order, flouted all conditions of the bail.”

According to the government, Kanu has in furtherance to the offence he was charged, inaugurated a so called Biafra Security Service, an act it describes as grave threat to national security and unity of the country.

In a separate statement, the Kanu led IPOB said the federal government was out of order by moving for Kanu’s re-arrest.

Spokesman for the group, Emma Powerful said in a statement in Owerri that “threats and more threats heaped upon intimidation after intimidation do not wash with IPOB.”

“Merely asserting that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a threat to the Nigerian government,” according to Powerful, “is not a crime unless accompanied by legally definable crime or offence.

“Before Buhari decides to make a move to arrest our leader, he must first go to court to obtain a court order or else it will be resisted by millions of IPOB members.

“Federal government must do exactly what IPOB did, after all the matter is before a court of competent jurisdiction. When IPOB complained about the inhumane bail conditions, we were advised to approach the court for variation.

“Whatever issue government of Buhari has with our leader Kanu must first be presented before Justice Binta Nyako’s court for determination.

“Nnamdi Kanu is spiritually and mentally prepared for this epic battle. He is not afraid of being locked up without trial as long as his personal physician will be allowed to visit and attend to his medical needs.

“The Federal Government must also state where it is written in the 1999 Constitution that being in a crowd of more than 10 people, calling for election and attending rallies is a crime. Our teams of local and international lawyers are following the developments closely. That Nigeria is dangerously close to the brink of collapse today is a direct result of the first illegal arrest and detention of Kanu, arresting him again will plunge Nigeria into an unimaginable crisis.”

“We are peacefully agitating for our independent homeland for the people of Biafra. We have engaged in any armed conflict of any sort, we have not called for the expulsion of any ethnic group, neither have we declared any state within a state. Nigerian government must explain which law of the land has been violated to justify their move to re-arrest our leader.”

Kanu’s lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor, had told PREMIUM TIMES, an online newspaper at the weekend that his client had “successfully challenged the bail conditions referred to by the government.”

He was quoted as saying: “Though we intend to file a formal response to their most misconceived motion, it is my position that it does not lie in the power of the AG to ask for the revocation of the bail granted to my client. The prosecution can’t be seen at the same time as the persecutors.

“We have successfully challenged the bail terms we considered offensive to our clients constitutionally guaranteed rights. So their recent application is belated.

“Section 169 of the ACJA being relied upon by the AG can’t avail the Attorney General absolute power to ask for the revocation of bail. Parties must be heard on the merit by the court.”

Ejiofor described the alleged security outfit created by Kanu as a “mere group” formed in the exercise of the citizen’s constitutional right.

Kanu’s bail conditions preclude him from joining a crowd exceeding 10 people; granting press interviews; holding or attending rallies; and monthly filing in court medical updates of his health status.

• Blasts Police, security agencies
over non-arrest of Arewa youths
• Sets up committee on economic,
political policies

The Igbo apex socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday branded as treason, the recent quit notice issued to the Igbo resident in the north by a coalition of Arewa youths.

More worrisome to Ohanaeze is “the clear incapacitation of the police and unwillingness to arrest them, their renewed aggression following the issuance of another statement involving an association of wider youth organisations in the north and the support offered to them by splinter elements of the Northern Elders Forum.”

The President General of the group, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, likened the Arewa youths, utterances to the events preceding the mayhem against the Igbo in 1966.

“Are the rhetoric of today not similar to the rhetoric before the 1966 pogrom? If there should be a repeat performance what explanation can we make to our people?” Nwodo said at the inauguration of a 100 member National Executive Committee to formulate economic and political policies for Ohanaeze.

He said: “Quite recently, we have witnessed very provoking and unpatriotic remarks from Arewa youths. Their remarks have grown from whispers to a national quit notice to the Igbo to leave Northern Nigeria.

“Whilst we applaud the immediate and unequivocal condemnation of their utterances by the Governor of Kaduna State, the Northern Governors Forum, the Middle Belt Forum and the rather mild and equivocal condemnation from the Arewa Consultative Forum, the defiance of the Arewa youths by threatening and daring the police to arrest them, the clear incapacitation of the police and unwillingness to arrest them, their renewed aggression following the issuance of another statement involving an association of wider youth organisations in the North and the support offered to them by splinter elements of the Northern Elders Forum point to a swell of reasonable support from a section of Northern Nigeria.

“What remains worrisome is the incapacity of the police to make needful arrests in this situation pointing to double standards from our security forces. A desire and public proclamation for the State of Biafra cannot be too different from a quit notice which amounts to a declaration for a new state of Nigeria without the Igbo.

“In the latter case, an obvious violation of our constitution points to treason, a declaration to take inventory and acquire property not belonging to one amounts to conversion and a declaration to commence ‘mop up’ action if the quit notice is not complied with at a certain date is a declaration of war.

“If our security forces, firmly in command and control by mainly officers of Northern Nigeria, fail to carry out lawful and needful arrests of criminals amongst Arewa youths, or coup plotters in the army and their civilian collaborators, how can we expect them to heed to the orders of the Acting President to protect our people in the North? What should we advise our people in the North to do in the circumstance?

“Against this background our young men and women are spiralling out of control. The jury is still out in Igbo land regarding the choice between self-determination and restructuring as a solution to our current impasse.

“Whereas a lot of the elderly, the business class and the professionals want to preserve our continued existence as one indivisible, united and restructured Nigeria, a number of the young ones are resolute about self-determination.

“How do we resolve this duplicity that gives the impression that we all are on one of the sides depending on who is making the assessment?

“We have, as Ohanaeze, maintained absolute restraint in our public utterances. The Acting President by his interactions with all concerned groups shows that he is prepared to engage everyone in order to ensure that justice is done.

“His proclamation that government will guarantee the security of life of all Nigerians and their properties wherever they live is reassuring.

“What worries us, however, is whether the Arewa youths are acting out a plan that may spiral out of control. Why have disclosures that some soldiers are talking with politicians not led to any arrest?

“Why has none of the Arewa youths been arrested in spite of the orders of the Inspector General of Police and the Chief Security Officer of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai?”

Nwodo hailed the ‘solidarity’ of Afenifere and Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) with the Southeast on the quit notice, stressing: “We acknowledge and fully associate Ohanaeze with their stand that any quit notice to one Southerner is a quit notice to all Southerners.”

Inaugurating the Professor Charles Soludo-led committee, Nwodo said the task before it in the political sector was more urgent in view of the quit notice served on Igbo living in the North.

His words: “Your Committee is faced with a very delicate assignment in advising our National Executive Committee and Imeobi on our appropriate response to these developments.”

The Ohanaeze president urged the committee members to weigh the issues and allow them to engage their attention in the days, weeks and months ahead.

He said the group has an understanding with the Southeast governors that the recommendations of the committee would be used where found useful to formulate integrative economic programmes for the five states in the geo-political zone.

“In the economic front, it is obvious that our people are in the main sustained by the private sector. In an era of declining oil revenue and low capital allocation by the various governments, the private sector remains our most reliable engine for growth,” he said.

“Our people are highly versatile, economically enterprising, but fiercely individualistic and unaccustomed to joint corporate ventures that will improve management efficiency and catalyze growth.

“No meaningful economic growth can therefore be achieved here without our developing policies that will change our mind set and encourage the build up of capital for gigantic economic programmes.”

Responding, Soludo thanked Ohanaeze for giving them the opportunity to serve the Igbo nation.

He said that the extra-ordinary number of the members of the committee and the calibre of persons in it bore eloquent testimony to the tasks they have been assigned to carry out.

Soludo said that the committee would try its best to deliver on the mandate given to it while calling on other Igbo to send in memoranda.

Present at the inauguration were Dr Okwesilieze Nwodo, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, Amb. Frank Ogbuewu, Chief Adolphus Wabara, Chief Ferdinand Agu, Prof Chigozie Ogbu, Prof Aloy Okoli, Dr. Emma Ajero, Prof Osita Ogbu, Chief Olisa Agbakoba, Chief Onyemauche Nnamani, and Prof Joy Ezeilo, among others.