Nonschukwu Uwa, Owerri
The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, on Thursday said that the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, and another controversial leader of IPOB, Simon Ekpa, would be present at the peace summit of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
The Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Elders council, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, disclosed this to newsmen in Owerri.
The elder statesman said the Ohanaeze would appeal to the Federal Government to release Kanu to them for the peace summit, while an invitation would be extended to Simon Ekpa, said to be residing in Finland to come back home to join in the peace summit.
The elders of Ohanaeze said the meeting was to achieve peace in Igboland, stop the killings, as well as have the 2023 elections held peacefully across the region.
According to the Ohanaeze Elder, “In the past few months, I have watched with deep grief the amount of innocent blood being shed in South-East and other parts of Nigeria. properties belonging to governments and individuals have been wantonly destroyed. This situation has caused me considerable pain and concern. After many sweet nights, I decided to take the liberty of my position as the chairman of, the elder council of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to call an emergency meeting of the Ohanaeze council of elders.
“At the meeting, the security situation of the South-East was very critically examined. Elders expressed concern over the deteriorating security and social and economic conditions in the zone. Many school leavers including graduates spend so many years looking for employment without success. Many businesses have collapsed due to a lack of infrastructure such as power. The elders resolved that the solution to this problem does not lie in bloodshed.
“For the first time in our history, we witnessed Igbos killing innocent Igbos for no just cause. When we recall that Igbos lost over two million people during the civil war I see no reason why we should shed more blood in Igboland. I plead with our people to allow peace to reign by ensuring that the elections in the South-East are peaceful.”
“The elders believe that the solution to this is not by killing or bloodshed but in peaceful discussions and negotiations. The elders therefore unanimously resolved to hold a peace summit. The peace summit will allow the youths to air their grievances and I promise on behalf of the council of elders to resolve the problems to the best of my ability.
“We are going to appeal to the Federal Government to release Nnamdi Kanu to participate in the peace summit. and we will invite Simon Ekpa, to be part of the peace summit. We are calling on those groups issuing sit-at-home orders against the election to withdraw them. We are assuring them that their grievances will be resolved. We are calling for a ceasefire. They should come to the peace summit and we will resolve all their problems,” Iwuanyanwu pleaded.
