…says setting IPOB leader free will gladden Igbo
New President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, on Sunday, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, before the expiration of his tenure on May 29.
Iwuanyanwu said Kanu’s release was critical to addressing the insecurity situation in the South-East and that the release of the detainee would gladden all Igbo.
He made the call shortly after the Imeobi Ohanaeze ratified his nomination as the new President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide in Enugu on Sunday.
Imo State government had nominated Iwunayanwu to replace the former President General of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Prof George Obiozor, who died in December 2022 after a brief illness.
At the Imeobi meeting held at the old Government House Lodge, Enugu, where Iwuanyanwu was presented and ratified as the new leader of Ohanaeze were serving governors and former governors, former leaders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, leaders of the South-East traditional rulers council and senators, among others.
In his acceptance speech, Iwuanyanwu described the event as a remarkable day in his life, saying all his life he had done his best to serve the Igbo, both in time of war and time of peace.
Iwuanyanwu said he never nurtured the ambition of becoming the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, but “instead I had the ambition of becoming the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
“I contested for the Presidency on three occasions but I did not succeed. I took my losses in good composure knowing fully well that as a Christian, all powers and promotion comes from God.
“But today, destiny has placed squarely on my shoulders the duty of leading the Igbo as the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide. I, therefore, have a duty to valiantly defend the Igbo cause and I promise Ime-Obi and all Igbo people that by the grace of God I will not fail them.”
He said he had carefully examined the present circumstances of Ndigbo and had decided, among other things, to focus on education, agriculture, industrialisation, electricity, power generation, health among others as core of his assignments during his tenure.
Iwuanyanwu described the insecurity in the South-East as disturbing, saying there was an urgent need to convene a peace summit in Igboland.
He appealed to Buhari to release leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, before the expiration of his tenure in office.
He said, “It is also important to note that the judiciary has discharged and freed Nnamdi Kanu. It will be the joy of many Igbo people and Nigerians to see Nnamdi Kanu released from detention.
“There is also a report that his health is deteriorating. I feel it is important that he is released to have access to his medical doctors so that he does not die in the prison,” he warned.
