The Ohanaeze Ndigbo has disassociated itself from the proposed Igbo Easter Retreat in Asaba, Delta State, saying the retreat were not from them.
Dr. Alex Ogbonnia, national publicity secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, stated this in a statement in Enugu, yesterday.
According to him, the attention of Ohanaeze Ndigbo has been drawn to a mischievous flyer in circulation, inviting the general public to Asaba, Delta State, for an Igbo Easter Retreat holding between March 30 and April 2, in the name of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.
He said the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo would have ignored the hare-brained “Igbo Easter Retreat” as the highest mark of rascality and insensibility, but since silence may be misconstrued by the gullible public as giving validity to an orchestrated aberration, hence, this rebuttal.
Ogbonnia said Ohanaeze Ndigbo noted with dismay that the mischief makers, impostors, charlatans and media navigators who masquerade on the invaluable footprints of Ohanaeze Ndigbo for narrow, perverse and illicit interests fail to appreciate the profound emotional attachment the Igbo owe to Ohanaeze.
The national publicity secretary stressed that such a sacred Igbo identity should not be desecrated on the whims, caprices, rascality and exuberances of some social deviants and wary transgressors.
He said: “Ohanaeze Ndigbo held an Igbo Retreat with the theme “Ako bu Ije” at the Old Governor’s Lodge, Enugu, on Wednesday, March 27, and the retreat was chaired by Admiral Allison Madueke (Rtd).
“The retreat attracted eminent personalities from all walks of life, including the governor of Enugu State, represented by his Deputy, Ifeanyi Ossai.
“There were paper presentations by reflective scholars such as Prof. Okey Ikechukwu, Monsignor Obiora Ike, Prof. Nnenna Oti, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, Dr Domnic Okechukwu, Dr Sam Obaji, Dr Nnaemeka Obiaraeri, among others,” he said.
He said it was insensitive for a genuine Ohanaeze Ndigbo to organise a retreat on Easter Saturday and Monday when the predominant Igbo Christians and elders should be in their various communities and residences for the Easter celebration.
“The mischievous Asaba flyer regrettably carries names of Igbo professors. It will be indeed most inconceivable of a genuine professor or any other person to portray ignorance that the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo which resides in Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu as the President-General.
“The good people of Delta State and the general public are hereby notified that appropriate security agencies have been duly alerted about the unscrupulous marauders whose sole aim is to upset, disarticulate and torpedo the peace and tranquility for which Asaba town is known.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide dissociates itself from the hair-brained Easter Retreat at Asaba. We further caution that anybody attending such an event is doing so at his or her own risk,” Ogbonnia said.