‘Ohanaeze not pursuing Biafra agenda but Nigeria’s president of Igbo extraction

Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has said that its leadership was not mandated by Ndigbo to pursue the actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra, but Nigeria’s president of Igbo extraction.

It said some youths within the territory that made up the defunct Biafra Republic were restive and have made the case for Biafra’s restoration because of the gross marginalization of Igbo in the country.

President of Ohanaeze in Anambra State, Ichie Damian Okeke-Ogene, stated this when he briefed the press at the end of their meeting in Awka, Anambra State.

“We are pursuing Igbo president because the executive of Ohanaeze led by Nnia Nwodo has the mandate of Ndigbo to negotiate the Igbo position in Nigeria. He wasn’t given a mandate for the Sovereign State of Biafra. That’s why we are saying, give us what is due for us and Nigeria’s president of Igbo extraction is what we are looking for.

“The other aspect of IPOB is because our children seem to find out that Nigerians are not ready to give us what we want; we the elders. They are now saying that if you’re not going to answer my father, I am going to tell my father that I am going to be myself. They are two different things. Let me tell you, it is coming to a point that Igbo presidency is becoming a right, no more privilege because it is only the South East that has never tasted the presidency and we have been voting for everybody.

So, the younger ones are agitating that Nigerians are not ready to answer us. If they are sure that Nigerians are going to answer us, I believe that they will calm down. Nigeria is for all of us,” he said.

Okeke-Ogene made it clear that one of their core areas of interest was to ensure the realisation of Nigeria’s president of Igbo extraction in 2023, saying the group would sustain the drive and would never relent until the target is actualised.

On the deregistration of the splinter Ohanaeze group Okeke-Ogene commended the Corporate Affairs Corporation (CAC),.

“Ohanaeze Ndigbo is an institution of credibility and repute that spans across seven states and beyond and should not for any reason be subjected to a child’s play or ridicule because of selfish interest of self seeking individuals,” he added.