…Give 14 days to retract anti-Igbo remark or face court action
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Igbo women have issued two week ultimatum to former Presidential Spokesman and Arise Television Analyst, Dr Reuben Abati over alleged anti-Igbo comment.
National President of Igbo Women Assembly, IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, who gave the ultimatum during a press conference in Umuahia, vowed to initiate court action against the ex-presidential Spokesman, if he failed to retract the said remark and tender public apology to Ndigbo.
She said that Abati’s alleged claims that Igbo people do not sell their land to outsiders, was false, challenging him to substantiate the claims.
Lolo Chimezie who described the said comment as “genocidal” noted that the Nigerian civil war which claimed millions of Igbo lives was caused by twisted facts against the Igbo.
She lampooned Abati for passing unsubstantiated comment capable of ignoring hate action against an innocent people.
The IWA President called on the National Broadcasting Commission NBC to sanction Abati without delay.
“We want to call the attention of NBC to the utterance by Rueben Abati. He said Igbos don’t sell land to outsiders which is incorrect. Such a remark is genocidal. The civil war was caused by comment tagging the military coup as Igbo coup, and Northern youths believed that Igbos killed their military officers. So, they went on killing spree and killed over 3000 Igbos on the street. That was what led to the civil war.
“The hate speech by Abati is capable of sparking another genocide against Igbo and we won’t tolerate that. We want him to withdraw the utterance and publicly apologize to Ndigbo. What he said is false. It’s either he withdraws it or he will hear from us.
“We have a letter for him and we give him 14 days to apologise or we initiate a court action against him.”
Speaking further, IWA called for the unconditional release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
She challenged President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to release Kanu without further delays if truly he is interested in the restoration of peace to the South-East.
According to IWA, the growing tension in South-East is as a result of Kanu’s continued detention, hence the only way the President can prove his sincerity to the return of peace to the region is to free the IPOB leader.
She said that majority of the people believe that Kanu’s release would help restore peace to South-East, and urged Tinubu to heed the pleas for his release.
Lolo Chimezie also urged the Federal Government to engage Kanu and agitators of Biafra in frank dialogue with a view to addressing their grievances.
She said: “We request that you release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally. We have done our investigations and found out that IPOB is a non-arms-bearing organisation.
“Criminals are hiding under his continued incarceration to wreak havoc in the South-East. So, his release is needed to restore peace to South-East”.
Igbo women queried the alleged engagement of a former militant to guard South-East, and challenged the Federal Government to come out clean on the allegation.
They argued that insecurity had continued to spike in the zone ever since a certain former Niger Delta militant leader claimed he was engaged by the Federal Government to secure South-East.
“Insecurity is getting worse in South-East despite the presence of the military. Now their presence is scaring our youths from coming home.
“Our people are now scared of coming home even to bury their dead or conduct marriage ceremonies. There is fear everywhere in South-East, and this is taking a toll on the region’s economy as investors turn to other zones.
“South-East is under siege. Some villages have been sacked. Before now, South-East was very peaceful. We the Igbo women are concerned and we want peace to return to Igboland.
“Somebody of questionable character came out on national television and said he was contracted to guard South-East. Since then, the Federal Government has neither denied or confirmed it. We noticed that since the time he said he was contracted, unknown gunmen have been carrying out attacks in South-East. Who are these unknown gunmen? What kind of security is a former militant providing in South-East?”
IWA further called for the dismantling of multiple checkpoints on South-East roads which, according to the women organisation, has become “extortion and humiliation points” for motorists and commuters.
The women group advocated constant patrol of South-East roads by security agents, arguing that such strategy will be more efficient.
IWA also called on South-East Governors to revive community vigilante groups which it said were disbanded in some states.
IWA commended Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State; and his Abia State counterpart, Alex Otti, for their commendable efforts to improve security in their respective states and called on other Governors to emulate them.
