Anambra Bishops counsel IPOB for peaceful guber election -Archbishop Onah

PHIL OKOSE, Onitsha

Facts have emerged that Bishops in Anambra state convinced the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, for a peaceful gubernatorial election that saw to the emergence of Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo, as the winner of the election conducted on 6 November 2021.

The Catholic Archbishop of Nsukka Archdiocese, Enugu State, Archbishop Igwebuike Onah, made this disclosure adding that, “the Bishops played major role that guaranteed the security of life and property as well as a free, fair and credible conduct of the election exercise”.

Archbishop Onah, made this disclosure Sunday, at the 20th Episcopal anniversary of Archbishop of Onitsha Archdiocese, Most Rev. Valerian Okeke.

Arch Bishop Onah, a former Rector at the Vatican City, Rome, said that, “people go about asking what the church is doing during election period but the role of Archbishop of Onitsha and other Bishops ensured that election was conducted peacefully in Anambra state”.

“It was the role of Bishops that convinced the members of the indigenous people of Biafra, IPOB, to allow the conduct of the election”

He said that, “the best thing and the only safety thing that should happen to a priest or a Bishop is to stay away from politics and when there is problem in politics or public life, the Bishops come in and the next question is, at what is Bishop or the church looking for in politics.”

“The Bishops are working and I know every role and every meeting, infact all the meetings that were held Archbishops presided over before that governorship election in the State.”

“I know there were meetings with all the agitators and how many negotiations with very difficult characters before the election was conducted.

This examplary role where one stakes his life like the shepherd to protect the sheep is what exactly Arch Bishop Valerian Okeke did in the past 20 years.”

Meanwhile, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Wednesday warned that the burning down of people’s houses in Biafran land by suspected security operatives that include Ebubeagu, would not go unreciprocated.

Sounding the note of warning through its image maker, Emma Powerful, it stated unequivocally that those involved in sponsoring and encouraging Nigeria soldiers and the infamous Ebubeagu security outfit to burn houses of innocent people suspected to be IPOB members or supporters of Biafra agitation in the South Eastern States, especially Imo State, would never go free.

“These wicked accomplices of the on-going genocide in Biafra land will soon pay for their treachery and cruelty to fellow citizens.

IPOB will not allow this barbarity and cruelty to continue. We will avenge these unprovoked and needless attacks against houses of innocent Biafrans citizens. The mindless burning down of houses in our region by Nigeria security and Ebubeagu cannot go unreciprocated”.

“We warned against the formation of Ebubeagu in Biafran land. We knew they were coming to collude with the security agencies in killing our people. People ignored our warning, and today we have been vindicated. Our fears have come true but the wicked will not go free.

For doing this to our people, we declare that the days of Ebubeagu in Biafra land are numbered. They will pay for what the military is using them to do against their fellow Biafrans.”

“In less than one week now Nigeria army has burnt down more than 30 homes of innocent citizens in Enugu, Imo and Ebonyi because they are Igbo members of IPOB and sympathisers of IPOB. Very soon, we will make public the total number of houses so far burnt down in different parts of Biafra land especially in Enugu, Imo and Ebonyi States.

We also want the governors of of these States to take note, and not blame IPOB for any reprisal because we can’t fold our arms to allow criminals in security uniforms continue to commit genocide in Biafra land unchallenged. Since nobody is defending our hapless people, we shall not abandon them. Enough is enough!”

“Again, the politicians supporting and encouraging the Nigeria evil security army and police who cannot withstand terrorists rampaging and ravaging the whole North must pay for their treachery! They will soon face the wrath of the people. Ohaneze Ndigbo leadership is not left out because they have done nothing to stop the mayhem.

Elders and stakeholders in South Eastern region should not beg us to calm down when we begin to pay back these agents of death and sorrows in their own coin. Instead they should tell the Army and Police to stop burning down people’s properties now. By the time we shall begin to reciprocate these atrocities, we won’t listen to anybody.”

“We are aware that Nigeria Government and her security agencies have concluded an arrangement to inttroduce the IDP as is the case in the North but they will not succeed.

South East Governors must rise against this barbarity if they have no hand in it. There is nowhere in the North where innocent villagers are invaded by security agents and their houses set on fire.

We are putting the world on notice particularly American Embassy in Abuja, British High Commissioner in Abuja, Israeli Ambassador in Abuja, Russia Emberssy in Abuja, French embassy in Abuja, India embassy in Abuja and Canadian Embassy in Abuja of this on-going GENOCIDE. They should take note because IPOB will not tolerate this burning down of our communities anymore. Nobody should blame IPOB if we decide to defend our ancestral land against these genocidal attacks.”

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