The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Elders Council has advised agitators in the Southeast to lay down their arms and accept a cease-fire so that elections in the region can be held without bloodshed.
On Thursday, while addressing with media in Owerri, Imo state’s capital, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu highlighted the council’s concern about a statement attributed to Biafra agitator Simon Ekpa that called for the cancellation of the 2023 general election in the southeast.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) separatist leader has repeatedly advised locals to stay at home in order to ensure little or no participation in the general election.
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Iwuanyanwu banned Ekpa and others from issuing the stay-at-home order in order to neutralize the threat and achieve a ceasefire so that elections could be held in the Southeast.
The elder claimed that if such an order is carried out, the inhabitants of the region will suffer.
Worried about recent deaths and homicides in the neighborhood, the council chairman emphasized the necessity of peaceful conversations and agreements as the most practical means of resolving whatever the source of the continuing disagreement is.
Meanwhile, the elder statesman asked the federal government to release Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally in order to defuse tensions in the area.
According to him, the council agreed to call a peace summit and invite Kanu and Ekpa to join the peace talks.
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Iwuanyanwu said, “In the past few months, I have watched with deep grief the amount of innocent blood being shed in Southeast and other parts of Nigeria. properties belonging to governments and individuals have been unwantedly destroyed. This situation has caused me considerable pain and concern. After many sweet nights, I decided to take the liberty of my position as the chairman of, the elder council of Ohanaeze Ndigbo to call an emergency meeting of the Ohanaeze council of elders.
“At the meeting, the security situation of the southeast was very critically examined. Elders expressed concern over the deteriorating security and social and economic conditions in the zone. many school leavers including graduates spend so many years looking for employment without success. Many businesses have collapsed due to a lack of infrastructure such as power. The elders resolved that the solution to this problem does not lie in bloodshed.
“For the first time in our history, we witnessed Igbos killing innocent Igbos for no just cause. When we recall that Igbos lost over two million people during the civil war I see no reason why we should shed more blood in Igboland. I plead with our people to allow peace to reign by ensuring that the elections in the Southeast are peaceful.
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“The elders believe that the solution to this is not by killing or bloodshed but in peaceful discussions and negotiations. The elders therefore unanimously resolved to hold a peace summit. The peace summit will allow the youths to air their grievances and I promise on behalf of the council of elders to resolve the opportunity to air their lives grievances and I promise on behalf of the council of elders to resolve the problems to the best of my ability.
“We are going to appeal to the federal government to release Nnamdi Kanu to participate in the peace summit. and we will invite Simon Ekpa, to be part of the peace summit. We are calling on those groups issuing sit-at-home orders against the election to withdraw them. We are assuring them that their grievances will be resolved. We are calling for a ceasefire. They should come to the peace summit and we will resolve all their problems.”
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