AGAIN: We Are Still In Talk With Arewa Youths – Ohanaeze Youths
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, has restated its determination to ensure that nothing happens to the Igbo in the North on account of the quit notice issued by a coalition of Arewa youths.
Rising from a meeting at Umudike, Abia State, to review its next move on the parley with Arewa Youths over the quit notice, the group expressed the hope that the meetings would yield fruitful results.
They however, expressed regret that one Edozie Eyibo, whom they claimed is not an Igbo man and Chuks Ibegbu were allegedly working against peaceful resolution of the issue.
However, Ohanaeze parent body, yesterday warned that it will not fold its arms and allow any illegitimate group or persons to discredit it by issuing what it described as staccato statements tailored towards dragging the image of the organization in the mud.
The organization further stressed that there was no crack or division in its operations and constitution as the Igbo apex body in the country.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting and signed by the OYC Publicity Secretary, Engr. Obinna Adibe, the group alleged that Nwodozi and Ibegbu were sabotaging the result achieved so far in the ongoing dialogue with the Arewa Youths.
They accused Nwodozi of working against the interest of Ndigbo, playing a “spoiler’s role because he is not an Igbo man.” They also accused Ibegbu, the National Deputy Publicity Secretary of the Ohanaeze of being under a contract to destroy the on-going peace moves for selfish reasons.
“The youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization met today and took far reaching decisions, which essentially border on the October 1 ultimatum given to Igbo resident in the North.
“We took time to review the steps we have taken so far towards initiating a peace process with the Arewa youths, to ensure that nothing untoward happened to any Igbo man or woman in the 19 Northern states.
“We are delighted with the results achieved so far and we have the firm belief that this process shall finally reunite us and ensure the safety of our people.
“However, we note with utmost concern the desperate moves by some persons to sabotage these efforts and then see to a massacre of Ndigbo in the North.
“The persons in question are one Odozi Nwodozi, who parades himself as the chairman of Ohanaeze in the FCT, Abuja. We are indeed at a loss how such a person got to lay claim to that position. “It is strange because in the first place, he is not an Igbo man, but from Edo State, although he has allegedly changed his name three times, but that has not in any way made him an Igbo man.
“We want to say with all seriousness that he is not an Igbo man and as such, he should desist from poke-nosing into matters affecting Ndigbo, more so when he does not have the interest of our people at heart.
“We warn him to cease henceforth from disparaging the Ohanaeze Youth Council and by extension, sabotaging our determined effort to see to the protection of our people.
“Also in this dangerous mission is Chuks Ibegbu, who seems to be under contract to not just tarnish the image of the Ohanaeze Youth Council but to rubbish all our efforts.
“Ibegbu has gone extra mile to the point of issuing media statements in the name of our President, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro.
He should get ready for court action as we shall not just sue him for libel but for impersonation.
“Finally, may we restate our earlier belief in the ongoing peace process between us and the Arewa youths. We shall see it to the end in order to safeguard our people,” the statement said.