The Guardian (Nigeria)

Economic hardship: IPOB, Ohanaeze warn against protest in South East

HURIWA faults Ohanaeze, endorses protests

- From Lawrence Njoku ( Enugu) and Daniel Okejeme ( Abuja)

THE Indigenous People of Biafra has banned protests against hunger in any South East territory, adding that any Nigerian agent who dares to organise any protest in the South East will regret it.

The pro- Biafran group stated this in a statement issued by its spokesman, Emma Powerful, stressing that the current hardship in Nigeria should be the concern of Nigerians, not Biafrans.

IPOB said anyone who organises any protest against economic hardship in the region would put Ndigbo in danger.

The statement reads in part: “Following the unpreceden­ted hardship in Nigeria, IPOB, ably led by Nnamdi Kanu, hereby cautions the people of Biafra not to join any protest against hunger in Nigeria in any South East territory.

“The current hardship in Nigeria should be the concern of Nigerians, not Biafrans. They are no longer interested in the affairs of Nigeria. Biafrans were abused, intimidate­d, beaten, and killed, as well as denied voting rights during the election of this current government. Ndigbo were told to wait, and that it was their turn to rule, not the turn of Ndigbo.

S

IMILARLY, apex Igbo sociocultu­ral organisati­on,

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday, explained why Ndigbo would not join in the current protests against economic hardship in the country under President Bola Tinubu.

President General of Ohanaeze, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, in an open letter he addressed to Ndigbo worldwide, acknowledg­ed events in the country as disturbing, but urged Igbo to refrain from joining mass action.

He stated that the Igbo don’t have any “personal issues with Tinubu,” and had long accepted him as President of the country, following the pronouncem­ent of the Supreme Court on the outcome of the 2023 general elections.

Iwuanyanwu added that he had received entreaties from parts of the country requesting him to call Igbo to join in demonstrat­ion and violent action in the country against the government, but stressed that Igbo would not join in the demonstrat­ions because of the marginalis­ation being experience­d by its people by successive government­s of the country.

MEANWHILE, the Human Rights Writers Associatio­n of Nigeria ( HURIWA) has carpeted the leadership of Ohanaeze for behaving like people who inhabit outer space; therefore, immune from the austerity measures and the wrong policies of President Bola Tinubu.

 ?? ?? Former governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa ( left); former National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Okwesiliez­e Nwodo; Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Sen. Adolphus Wabara; Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah; and the National Vice Chairman of the PDP ( South East), Ali Odefa, during a meeting of the South East Zonal Working Committee and leaders of the PDP in Enugu ... yesterday.
Former governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa ( left); former National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Okwesiliez­e Nwodo; Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Sen. Adolphus Wabara; Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah; and the National Vice Chairman of the PDP ( South East), Ali Odefa, during a meeting of the South East Zonal Working Committee and leaders of the PDP in Enugu ... yesterday.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Nigeria