Africa
By Benprince Ezeh
THE Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has described the response of Lauretta Onochie, Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammad Buhari on media over the demand of Igbo traditional rulers and Christian religious leaders for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, as despicable and sacrilegious to the Igbo nation.
In a statement signed by Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, National Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide on Tuesday, November 2,
Reacting to Onochie’s statement while giving reasons the president would not heed the appeal made by the traditional rulers and religious leaders, describing them as political neonates, who are also ignorant of the laws of the land and questioned their sense of decency.
The association said that for Onochie to use such uncouth words as ‘neonates’, ‘ignorant’, ‘lack of sense of decency’, ‘hide face in shame’ and ‘stupidity’ on revered traditional rulers and archbishops were “unreflective, odious, warped, despicable and sacrilegious.”
“The letter of appeal to the president by the council of traditional rulers and the archbishops was strong enough to attract the attention of President Buhari for a discussion with Igbo leaders on the way forward about Kanu and other security challenges in the South East, and why Onochie should assume the obnoxious role of denigrating her kinsmen,” it stated.
According to them, the letter should not befall in the office of Onochie.
“In the first place, I doubt if it falls within the official circumference or schedule of duties of Lauretta Onochie to respond to a letter of passionate appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari on the release of Mazi Nnadi Kanu and other problems currently afflicting Ndigbo.
“It is also curious that the response from Onochie came barely less than 48 hours after the letter was dispatched to the Presidency.
“Furthermore, most people share the views that the Special Adviser to the President on Media, Femi Adesina or Garba Shehu would have been more articulate and circumspect in responding to a letter from the Council of Traditional Rulers, Archbishops and the Clergy from the Igbo ethnic group.
“The obnoxious role of denigrating one’s kinsmen to be fully ingratiated and assimilated in the other group is as old as mankind. However, the entrepreneurs of betrayal have never ended well,” the statement said.
Tags: Benprince Ezeh Biafra IPOB LAURETTA Onochie Nnamdi Kanu Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide
