Gov. Nwifuru advises Ohaneze to prevent Igbo people from being portrayed as criminals by their adversaries

The chief Igbo sociocultural organisation, Ohaneze Ndigbo, has been charged by the governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, to safeguard Ndigbo’s reputation and value from being damaged by adversaries.

Nwifuru, who stated through Jude Okpor, the state commissioner for information and state orientation, provided the advice soon after a meeting with the Ohaneze Ndigbo leadership in Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State.

Nwifuru, who also commented on the viral film depicting Ebonyi residents of Anambra State as criminals, claimed that it was an apparent effort to damage the reputation of the region and Igbos in general.

No Igbo individual can achieve sainthood by destroying the reputation of his or her brother, he added, and doing so “would summarily dent the collective image of the Igbo nation.” He asked the leadership of Ohaneze to continue serving as a leading banner of unity and progress in the southeast zone.

However, the group’s leadership was urged by Governor Nwifuru to use their position to spread the message of the group’s slogan, “ONYE AGHANA NWANNEYA,” which emphasised the zone’s residents’ unity and oneness.

He vehemently denounced the criminal actions involving the Ebonyi people and argued against using a small number of hoodlums to label the Ebonyi people as criminals.

“It is unacceptable to use social media to try suspects instead of following due process in a court with appropriate authority. The viral video will damage not only the reputation of the Ebonyi people, but also that of the Igbos as a whole, according to him.

Peter Mbam, the team’s leader and state president of the Ohaneze, responded by assuring that the group was ready to work with the state administration to maintain harmony, peace, and order throughout the five states of the eastern area.