From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
Piqued by the recent massacre of youths at Awomama, Imo state by operatives whose identity has become a subject of controversy, the United Igbo Elders’ Forum has cautioned Ndigbo to be mindful of what it called evil hurricane targeted to hunt the Igbo down.
The Elders said the unfortunate episodes that have befallen the Igbo nation in recent times call for co-operative spirit to handling it.
They therefore, demand for joint efforts of Governors of Igbo extraction, the Elders’ Forum, leaders of thought and “our mothers in agony for the pollution in our land,” on a round table to plan on how to protect the people of the region whom they were leading.
In a statement signed by Justice Alpha Ikpeama and Dr. Harford Ugwu, National Coordinator and Acting National Publicity Secretary respectively of the Forum and issued in Enugu yesterday, the Forum expressed deep sorrow and sympathized with the families and loved ones of victims of the unfortunate incident, calling on security agencies to uncover the culprits.
“We therefore, call on the security operatives to live no stone unturned, in their investigations, to uncover the culprits of this abominable and atrocious Awomama massacre. We want the truth to be brought to book. We appeal to the youths, our mothers in agony, fathers in distress, perplexed leaders and all concerned, to please not resort to jungle justice as two wrongs can never make a right.”
Stressing on the need for unity, the Forum said, “We must not continue to act as if we are different entities. God shall help us to rise as one family that we are, to be our brother’s keeper. If any member of the family is oppressed, the others may be sorrowfully touched to rise for the rescue. It will be expedient if we can, from now, strive to pull our resources together in unity as Ndigbo, to stand with any member in distress.
“This is the only way we can survive this evil hurricane that is targeted to hunt us down. Serious efforts are being made, God helping us, to jointly stop this segregation that is eating deep into our consciousness. Onulu Ube Nwanne Agbanoso, Igboezue, Ohazulume, Igbo Okemba are our core values that we must demonstrate now, to help ourselves and the nation. We have done it before and we can do it again, all we need is to rekindle our drive and will.
“The United Igbo Elders’ Forum is already on the move for achieving this goal for our race and the nation…Our whole aim is that security of life and property in Igbo land shall be the unified efforts of the Governors, security operatives, vigilante groups and critical stakeholders, to end internal strife as well as external aggression, through inter-state collaboration.”