By Onyeche Igwe
Ohaneze Ndigbo has condemned what it called “Bayo Onanuga’s bizarre dispositions towards anything Igbo” and urged him to channel his energy towards helping President Bola Tinubu to address the challenges facing the country.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo wondered why Bayo Onanuga always harbour “unthoughtful, loathsome, cantankerous, uncouth, repugnant, inflammable and deep-seated hate” against Igbo.
The apex Igbo socio-cultural body reminded the presidential aide that “the prevailing hardship in Nigeria is blind to ethnicity,” and told him that “this is a time for the Presidency to initiate policies, programmes, activities and a body language that will appeal to or assuage the downtrodden, dispossessed and oppressed.”
Reacting to Onanuga’s statement about the national protests being planned by Nigerians, Ohanaeze, through the National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Alex Ogbonnia, said: “The attention of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has been drawn to a remark by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, to the effect that the malcontents planning to stage nationwide protests are supporters of Peter Obi, the failed presidential candidate of the Labour Party. And that Obi should be held responsible for whatever crisis that emanates from the protest.
“And that the Obidients are plotting to unseat President Bola Tinubu under the guise of protests. Several gullible undiscerning persons have joined Onanuga to state specifically that the Igbo are the propellers of the forthcoming nationwide protest.
“Ohanaeze views the above remarks by Onanuga as true to type. On March 19, 2023, Onanuga was reported by several news media to have issued a serious warning to the Igbo stating, ‘Let 2023 be the last time of Igbo interference in Lagos politics. Let there be no repeat in 2027.’
“When many well-meaning Nigerians including Mr. Festus Keyamo cautioned Onanuga on the ignoble path he has chosen for himself, he was quoted to have stated: ‘I owe no one apology for ethnic slur against Igbo.’
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo views Onanuga’s bizarre dispositions towards anything Igbo as unthoughtful, loathsome, cantankerous, uncouth, repugnant, inflammable, repugnant and full of deep-seated hate.
“It may be necessary to inform Onanuga that Nigerians of all persuasions, North, South, East and West are in pains of diverse forms: excruciating hardships, poverty, naira downward spiral, incessant kidnappings, banditry, farmers-herdsmen conflict, most terrifying insecurity, joblessness, rising food prices and cost of living challenges. And that the prevailing hardship in Nigeria is blind to ethnicity.
“It is necessary to inform Onanuga that this is a time for the Presidency to initiate policies, programmes, activities and a body language that will appeal to or assuage the downtrodden, dispossessed, oppressed, the deprived, including Obidients.
“And to also inform the Onanugas that issuing threats to the masses, the hungry and the angry, the vulnerable and indeed those who no longer fear any fall is the most inconceivable line of action for any government in a fragile society.
“In other words, instead of broadening the minds to creative thinking and welfare programmes for the masses, the Onanugas are chasing rats when the house is on fire.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo seizes this opportunity to reiterate our position concerning the widely publicized nationwide protests scheduled for the days of August 2024.
“On February 20, 2024, the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, directed the Igbo not to join in the protest against President Bola Tinubu.
“The Igbo leader explained that Igbo youths and youths from other ethnic groups at various times expressed their dissatisfaction with events in the country. It is clear to us that when youths from other tribes of the country are involved, they are reprimanded and forgiven; but when the Igbo youths are involved, they are arrested, incarcerated, and even charged with serious offenses.
“For example, the arrest and detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu generated a lot of problems for the Igbo amongst others.
“Emphatically, the current hardship in Nigeria is the come- uppance of Igbophobia. It is an unavoidable outcome of an orchestrated injustice, marginalization, callous conspiracies, corporate shenanigans, and ethnic bigotry against the Igbo.
“On Saturday, March 25, 2023, during the occasion of one year in the Office of Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the Governor of Anambra State, the former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo condemned the persistent aversion to the people of southeastern extraction, which he described as Igbophobia.
“Obasanjo added that unless Nigeria throws its doors open to merit, competence, and full inclusion of the Igbo in national affairs, the country will continue to flounder and grope in the dark.
“Finally, the Igbo are once again requested not to join the forthcoming nationwide protest.”
