From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
Ohanaze Ndigbo, yesterday, described as despicable and sacrilegious the response of the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammad Buhari on Media, Lauretta Onochie, to the demand of Igbo traditional rulers and Christian religious leaders for the release of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Onochie had, while giving reasons the president would not heed the appeal made by the traditional rulers and religious leaders, described them as political neonates who are also, ignorant of the laws of the land and questioned their sense of decency.
But reacting, in a statement, National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Alex Ogbonnia, said for Onochie to use such uncouth words as ‘neonates’, ‘ignorant’, ‘lack of sense of decency’, ‘hide face in shame’ and ‘stupidity’, on revered traditional rulers and archbishops was “unreflective, odious, warped, despicable and sacrilegious.”
He said the letter of appeal to the president by the council of traditional rulers and the archbishops was strong enough to attract the attention of President Buhari for a discussion with Igbo leaders on the way forward about Kanu and other security challenges in the South East, and wondered why Onochie should assume the obnoxious role of denigrating her kinsmen.
“In the first place, I doubt if it falls within the official circumference or schedule of duties of Lauretta Onochie to respond to a letter of passionate appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari on the release of Mazi Nnadi Kanu and other problems currently afflicting Ndigbo.
“It is also curious that the response from Onochie came barely less than 48 hours after the letter was dispatched to the Presidency. Furthermore, most people share the views that the Special Adviser to the President on Media, Femi Adesina or Garba Shehu would have been more articulate and circumspect in responding to a letter from the Council of Traditional Rulers, Archbishops and the Clergy from the Igbo ethnic group.…The obnoxious role of denigrating one’s kinsmen to be fully ingratiated and assimilated in the other group is as old as mankind. However the entrepreneurs of betrayal have never ended well.”