Members of Ogbakor Ikwerre, USA/Canada (OIUSA), Inc., a socio-cultural
organization of Iwhuruohna indigenes in the United States of America and
Canada, have strongly rebuked Nnamdi Kanu, the self-styled leader of the
outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), for calling on members of
the public to murder the Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo
Wike.
Members of the organization rose from their North America continent-wide
meeting yesterday, and chastised Kanu for making a statement that is not
only “unguarded,” but “dangerous, insightful and provocative.” They
advised Kanu to cease and desist from making insightful statements in
the future.
In a press release made available to members of the international media,
the president of the organization, Mr. Eric WorluWelle, rebuked the
leader of the proscribed renegade IPOB for making such “a foul and
dangerous utterance,” adding that, “it is capable of producing imminent
lawlessness, bitterness and ethnic recrimination” especially at a time
Nigeria needs to heal from the deaths that occurred during the #ENDSARS
protests in the country.
“How dangerous can anyone who puts a bounty on a sitting state governor
be,” WorluWelle asked.
According to WorluWelle, members of OIUSA/Canada said that Governor Wike
ought to have been congratulated for his timely intervention in the
Oyigbo crisis that helped nip in the bud, a potential ethnic conflict
between Hausa/Fulani on one hand and Igbo residents in Oyigbo on the
other.
“If Governor Wike had not intervened timely in the Oyigbo crisis which
was a fallout of the #ENDSARS protest, it would have led to bloodletting
between Hausa and Igbo communities in Oyigbo Local Government Area of
the state,” said members of OIUSA/Canada through their president,
adding: “That could have also escalated and spread to parts of Northern
and South Eastern states, potentially turning to a bloody inter-ethnic
conflict. These types of unguarded provocative statements underpinned
the roots of the 30-month fratricidal Civil War that claimed over a
million lives of Nigerians, mostly Igbos.”
Members of OIUSA/Canada noted that the so-called IPOB, now dubbed a
terrorist organization, should have applauded Governor Wike for showing
effective leadership, and nipping a potential Hausa-Igbo conflict in the
bud rather than calling for his murder.
The North America-based Iwhuruohna indigenes passionately called on the
leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, and
traditional rulers in the Southeastern States, to call Kanu, their son,
to order as well as immediately condemn in unequivocal terms, his
placement of a bounty — an incentive and reward — for the murder of a
sitting state governor of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The diaspora Iwhuruohna group said: “We are also calling on the
governors of the Southeastern States – Hons. Willie Obiano, Hope
Uzodinma, Okezie Ikpeazu, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Dave Umahi – to
collectively and individually come out and publicly denounce the
infuriating and inflaming statement made by the leader of the outlawed
IPOB.
“Bounty has never been placed on a sitting governor in the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, and no governor in the country would like a bounty
to be placed on him or her,” OIUSA members said, adding:
“Members of IPOB should not forget that most of their loved ones live
and make their daily living in Port Harcourt, home of Iwhuruohna people.
One begins to ask if IPOB indeed have the love of their people at heart.
For its leader to call for the murder of the Governor of Rivers State is
like biting the finger that feeds you. Earlier this year, one Ralph
Uwazurike injected himself into Rivers State matter, threatening the
state governor, and now, Nnamdi Kanu is calling for the murder of the
governor, and offering an incentive and reward for anyone who commits
the crime. Enough is enough!”
The North America-based indigenes of River State also call on the
Governor’s Forum of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to publicly denounce
the dangerous statement made by the IPOB leader as he cannot continue to
threaten the life of a sitting governor of a state and the existence of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria from a foreign land where he seeks
refuge.
OIUSA/Canada, Inc. said it has alerted relevant international
organizations and agencies about the IPOB leader’s threat to Governor
Wike’s life. It said it has notified the following organizations of the
IPOB leader’s treacherous statement:
1. The British High Commission in Nigeria
2. The United Nation Security Council
3. The American Embassy in Abuja and Lagos
4. The European Union Security Organization
5. The Nigerian Senate and Security organizations
6. The Inspector-General of Nigeria Police
7. The Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
8. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Federal Republic of
Nigeria
9. National and international Media Houses.