Apex Igbo social-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, says the body is against violent agitation and believes in the continued corporate existence of the country.

The group stated this at a news conference on Monday in Abakaliki as part of activities marking the 62nd anniversary of Nigeria’s independence.

The body, which spoke through Peter Mbam, president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ebonyi chapter, however, noted that the body was against all forms of marginalisation, including social injustice and misgovernance.

“We are advocates for lawful approach in solving critical national problems; we believe in diplomacy and round table approach and do not support Ndigbo to leave Nigeria.

“We still want to be in Nigeria. We want a restructured Nigeria where social justice, fairness, equity and equality will reign supreme, and we want a Nigeria where we will be treated not as second-class citizens.”

The group reiterated its support and solidarity with Governor Dave Umahi’s administration.

“We look at the governor’s security architecture and discovered that Ebonyi is the only state where you can sleep with your eyes closed.

“We are appreciative of the governor’s empathy and sympathy for the less privileged and the strive to make life meaningful through the series of economic empowerment he gave to the youths,” the group said.

On the 2023 general elections, the group expressed the need for all the political actors to ensure that the elections would be peaceful to deliver the desired outcome.

“We want the election of next year to be the most peaceful. We will go down to the grassroots to deliver our message; you don’t equip the young men to go against your political opponents, we want them to see themselves as contestants, that’s what we are talking about,” it added.

The group said maintaining the power rotation in the state would serve the best interest of all the three geopolitical zones constituting the state and also affirmed their unalloyed support for Mr Umahi that power should move to Ebonyi North senatorial zone.

“We, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo family in Ebonyi are united. We share the same philosophy and ideology. We believe in the Senatorial zones. We are supporting our governor that power should shift to the Ebonyi North.

“It started with the Ebonyi North in 1999, moved to Ebonyi Central in 2007 and 2015 it got to Ebonyi South, it’s in line with nature with the law of equity that it should go back to the North in 2023,” the organisation said. 

(NAN)