From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Ohanaeze Ndigbo has reached the determination of the southeast to produce the President of the country in 2023 vowing that not even the current insecurity challenge rattling the nation will deter it from realising its objective.
President of the Igbo apex social cultural organisation,professor George Obiozor disclosed this in Owerri on Friday in his Christmas and New year message delivered to newsmen in Owerri the Imo State capital.
While acknowledging the hash times experienced by the zone and the country in general, he expressed optimism that the coming year “will be a lot better than the outgoing one for Ndigbo and Nigeria in all ramifications.
Emphasising on the zone’s major focus in the upcoming year Obiozor said ” Insecurity in southeast is politically orchestrated to achieve a desired politics objective and also to deceive and divert the attention of the people of southeast and the rest of Nigeria.”
He added “Insecurity is a poisoned arrow deliberately fired on the south east . We in Ohanaeze say categorically that the architects of this mischievous scheme have failed woefully . Insecurity will not be an excuse to deny the Presidency of Nigeria to the south east in 2023.”
Obiozor further explaining the how Ndigbo are desirous of the Igbo Presidency explained ” In fact no people in recent history have been unfortunate or at least had a mixed fortune or blessings as Ndigbo in Nigeria politics and governance. For example quite often the Igbo energy and enterprise were misunderstood as being over ambirious . The Igbo talents and ability to turn adversities into advantage ,obstacles into opportunities and difficulties into dividends were misrepresented as attempt at domination.
“Consequently Ndigbo were confronted with anger or envy ,hostility and violence at any given crisis in Nigeria and even outside Nigeria. Ndigbo seek Nigeria unity but not unity of slaves and masters ,we seek peace but not peace of the grave yard. We seek justice because we know that throughout history those denied justice have had no interest in peace.
” Today Nigeria President of Igbo extraction is imperative and an idea whose time has come.” Obiozor stated.
Speaking on the abandoned proposal of floating the Ebubeagu security outfit for the zone ,Obiozor said that Ohanaeze after a meeting with the governors of the south east recently has gotten their assurance to launch the security outfit to enhance security in the zone even as he charged the governors to keep their promise and make the project a reality before the end of the year.
Meanwhile,elder statesman and chairman of the Ohanaeze Council of Elders,Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has insisted that there is no faction in the organisation ,affirming that the only recognised President is Obiozor.
” We would only be making ourselves a laughing stock if we continue to believe that there is faction in Ohanaeze,Obiozor was duely elected and it was seen by all.” Iwuanyanwu said.
