By Adadareporters
The Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, weekend, made a case for the use of non-kinetic approach to resolve security challenges in the South-East region.
The president-general of Ohanaeze, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, stated this during a world press conference in Enugu. The conference was to formally announce the programme for Sept. 29 Igbo Day Celebration holding in Enugu.
Iwuanyanwu lamented the killings and bloodshed in the region, describing it as ‘strange’. According to him, ‘as a father, I am tired of the death of my children and they have given me the responsibility to lead them’.
Quoting him, “Each time I hear anybody killed, I feel sad because most of them are doing what they are doing because of hunger and unemployment. I am not saying that hunger and unemployment will make one to be a criminal, but not everyone has capacity to endure hunger.”
He said security of every place in Nigeria was the collective responsibility of everyone, adding that the federal government alone could not handle it.
He added, “As a father, I will call and appeal to everybody to embrace peace, and the non-kinetic approach requires everybody’s support both state and the federal government for us to have peace in South East.
“Whatever sacrifice to bring non-kinetic approach to bring an end to bloodshed and killing in Igboland, I will do it.
“I am going to reach these people by any means to beg them or even give my life if they want it. I will surrender it to ensure peace reigns in the region.
“We are not going to arrest or kill them. I don’t want to kill any of our children; we are going to appeal to them to tell us what they want us to do. Those who are hungry, we will find them something to do to keep them happier but letting of bloodshed and killing should stop.
“It is not easy to stop a hungry person who has found means of getting livelihood through guns but as a father, I will go and cry to them. I am praying God that these approaches work out well.”
He added that he would also resolve all the political crises among the political leaders in the zone by reconciling them to move the region forward. He further appealed to the federal government to assist the zone with the reconstruction of railways, creation of seaports and more international airports to ease their businesses.
In his words, “The issue of sharing rice as palliative does not have any meaning to any Igbo man but what you can do for him is to give him opportunity to make a living for himself.”
