Apex Igbo socio-political organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by Uche Okwukwu, on Thursday, said President Muhammadu Buhari must tender an unreserved apology to the Igbo nation over his recent threat on both social and mainstream media.
The group, in a statement by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the Secretary-General Ohanaeze Ndigbo on behalf of Okwukwu, expressed surprise that President Buhari could make such a provocative statement when the people were yet to get over the wounds of the civil war and still battling with the trauma the people of the Southeast have suffered in the hands of the Buhari government.
Ohanaeze also stated it’s solidly behind the efforts of the governors of the south-East in restoring peace and stability within the region at this trying times, urging President Buhari to regularly meet with the governors, leaders and youths of the Southeast in order to fashion out ways of tackling the current insecurity in the region.
The statement partly read, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide had studied the proclamation of President Muhammadu Buhari on social media responding to the insecurity challenges in southeastern Nigeria and we obliged President Buhari to quickly rescind the threats of repeating the episode of the civil war experience which killed 3 million Igbo people and wreaked havoc on Igbo properties, but rather Mr. President should tender an unreserved apology to Ndigbo, for the civil war contentions against southeast to help avert possible misinterpretation of Nigerians misconstruing him.
“We are using this channel to remind President Buhari that killer herdsmen and Northern bandits based on the earlier warnings of USA Embassy Abuja that “they were heading south to destabilize the region,” the recent provocative onslaught against the southeast gave rise to Northern delinquents commandeered the moment to unleash affliction on security formations and government agencies like INEC.
“We are solidly behind the southeast Governors in these tribulations and difficulties to restore peace and stability in the southeast, and President Buhari should regularly be scheduled to meet with Igbo Governors and leaders including youths and agitators, this exhibition of love are what Nigerians expect from Buhari, not civil war magniloquence.
“Federal Government honored the Yoruba nation through MKO Abiola by the declaration of June 12 as Democracy Day to heal the psyche and wounds of the past, Southeast should be honored on June 12 Democracy Day through Presidential pardon and amnesty for all repentant Biafra agitators.
“We will not like to be threatened with the genocide of 30 months of Biafra War again.”