The deputy president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Lagos State, Chief Vitus Uzoh (Onwa Ikwuano-Obodoukwu), has urged Igbo leaders at home and in the Diaspora to emulate the kind gestures of Chief Allen Onyema, CEO of Air Peace, which enabled him to make available one of the aircraft for evacuatuon of Nigerians who were stranded after xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Chief Uzoh made the statement recently during the New Yam festival organised by Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Alimosho, where he was chairman on the ocassion.
While commending the House of Representatives, under the leadership of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, for recognising Chief Onyema and recommending him for national awards, Chief Uzoh said the Air Peace CEO’s timely intervention saved Nigeria from embarrassment and restored her dignity in the comity of nations.
Speaking on the plight of other Nigerians stranded abroad, the Ohanaeze chieftain appealed to the CEO of the Nigeria Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, to seek out other Nigerians who may be stranded in other troubled spots like Libya, with the hope of returning them home. He also called those in difficulty abroad to seek succour by registering their names and complaints in the Nigerian embassy and missions abroad.
Speaking on patrotism exhibited by the evacuees through singing of the National Anthem, Chief Uzoh, drawing from game of football, where Nigerians support their team, not minding tribes and tongues of origin, said what Nigerians need is equity and justice and if all Nigerians are treated fairly without prejudice, agitations would be reduced to the barest minimum. He added that it was in this direction that elderstatesmen like Ayo Adebanjo, Edwin Clark, and president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nnia Nwodo were lending their voices to call for equity in the land.
On the formation of new economic team by the Federal Government, Chief Uzoh described it as fixing a round peg in a round hole adding that the team would help the Presidency entrench good governance.