Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has cautioned against the vilification of Igbo political leaders.
It said such campaigns of calumny or casting of aspersions on Igbo presidential hopefuls will not be condoned especially when it comes from another Igbo.
Ohanaeze, which reacted to what it described as ‘verbal diarrhea and vituperative predispositions’ of Joe Igbokwe against Transport Minister, Chibuike Amaechi, alleged it was to advance some people’s ambition other than Igbo presidency.
In a statement by its Secretary-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Ohanaeze said Igbokwe’s unprovoked onslaught aimed at the Minister of Transport should be investigated.
Parts of it read: “For the records, Chibuike Amaechi is a registered member of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the Rivers state chapter since 2000, as well as a bonafide member of ime obi (the apex decision making organ in Ohanaeze) based on his position as former Governor and current Minister from Ikwerre, Igbo speaking area of Rivers State since 2015.
“This is our verdict, Chibuike Amaechi is a bonafide Igbo man and there is no reason why anyone would incite crisis just for cheap political goals, the issue raised on abandoned properties in Rivers state after Biafra war is a hoax and diversionary, as based on the facts before us, there is no record of any Ikwerre man or woman that benefited from the obnoxious policy and nobody should blackmail an Ikwerre with the abandoned property saga.
“We applaud the Minister of Transport for his bravery and heroism exhibited in the line of duty to calm the nerves of families and friends who lost the lives of their beloved ones in that ill-fated Abuja – Kaduna train”.
“Chibuike Amaechi, Ndigbo are proud to announce that you are one of the leading lights of the Igbo Nation, we are wishing him and other Igbo presidential hopefuls successful primaries, we expect that no Igbo should be a clog in the wheel of progress, as far as we concerned.
“Joe Igbokwe should have spoken out when Igbos we’re deported from Lagos in 2014, he should have denounced the threats for Igbo to jump into the lagoon in 2015 or when Igbo traders were threatened at Alaba International market.
“Amaechi is more Igbo than anyone who was silent when his kinsmen were forced into political slavery”.
“Ohanaeze will not join issues with a nonregistered organization with faceless leadership which was sponsored by politicians for the first time to discredit the workaholic Minister of Transport.”
