Fides Media Living the Faith
By Jude Atupulazi
The Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide has called on the Federal Government and security agencies to arrest and prosecute those threatening and intimidating Ndigbo living in various parts of the country, especially Lagos and Rivers States. The apex Igbo socio-cultural organization made the call ahead of the governorship and state assembly elections that took place last Saturday.
In a statement issued in Awka, the Vice President of the organization, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, said the incessant harassment of Ndigbo and threat to their lives on various social media platforms and streets of Lagos and Rivers states, as well as their places of abode, had taken a very dangerous dimension and would no longer be tolerated.
Chief Okeke Ogene recalled that since the last presidential and national assembly elections, Ndigbo in Lagos State had suffered huge financial and material losses following mysterious fire outbreaks in their various markets allegedly instigated by political interest in which no arrest had been made so far.
Ogene made it clear that Ndigbo anywhere in the county had the constitutional right to support and vote for any candidate of their choice during the elections without fear or apprehension and regretted that governments of the affected states were yet to make any clear statement against those threats and intimidation against Ndigbo nor taken practical measures to reassure them of their safety on the election day.
The Ohaneze Ndigbo Vice President Worldwide warned that the practice of targeting Ndigbo for tribal and religious violence could only escalate agitations and instability in spite of proactive measures taken by stakeholders in Igbo Land to promote peaceful coexistence and maintain stability.
Chief Ogene urged security agencies not to allow people no matter how highly placed to take laws into their hands and take actions that would truncate and discredit the electoral process and the outcome while reminding those beating the drum of disunity that it was no longer business as usual because according to him, the youths of the country were now looking beyond ethnic and religious sentiments and were united in taking ownership of the country.
He enjoined Ndigbo to remain united anywhere they were and vote according to their conscience.