The Izhi Nnodo Furum in United Kingdom has condemned in strong terms a joint communique issued by Ikwo Indigenous Professionals in Diaspora with its name while decrying the recent abduction of seven Izhi children from Enyigba community in Abakalki Council Area by suspected miscreants from Enyibuchiri community in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The Forum in its communique endorsed by its President General - Engr. Dr Chidi Nshi, the Publicity Secretary - Dr Emmanuel Nwofe, the Financial Secretary - Surv. Ofoke Reuben George and a member - Mr Theophilus Nwoba on Tuesday 15th June, 2021, which was forwarded to NATIONAL PANEL on Thursday, expressed dissatisfaction over the way the Ikwo Indigenous Professionals in Diaspora used the name of Izhi Nnodo Forum in UK to mislead general public on their position of the ongoing crisis between the two brotherly communities of Enyibuchiri Ikwo and Enyigba Abakalki in Ebonyi State.
The communique read in full:
RE: A JOINT COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF AN EMERGENCY MEETING BETWEEN IKWO INDIGENOUS PROFESSIONALS IN DIASPORA AND IZHI NNODO, UNITED KINGDOM ON THE ONGOING CRISIS BETWEEN ENYIGBA-IZHI, ABAKALIKI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA AND ENYIBICHIRI-ALIKE, IKWO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, EBONYI STATE: SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT
The above subject matter refers.
A. The attention of Izhi Nnodo Forum has been drawn to the recent publication of a joint communique currently circulating on a social media blog website: www.peoplesguidenews.com, which was purportedly issued at the end of an emergency meeting between Ikwo Indigenous Professionals in Diaspora and Izhi Nnodo Forum in Uk over the ongoing crisis between Enyigba-Izhi in Abakaliki Local Government Area and Enyibichiri-Alike, Ikwo Local Government Area, of Ebonyi State. The said joint communique was published online on 9 June 2021 by the Ikwo Indigenous Professionals in Diaspora through a social media blogger appointed by them.
B. Our attention has also be drawn to another communique issued this time by our Ikwo brothers in their own name (Ikwo Indigenous Professionals in Diaspora) and under their own hand,
which was announced publicly over a local radio station in Ebonyi State recently. We would like to call the attention of the general public to the fact that the contents of that communique
announced over the radio are on all fours with the said earlier joint communique published on www.peoplesguidenews.com.
This is conclusive proof that our Ikwo brothers are intentionally misleading the members of the general public by publishing two separate communique both of which are the same in nature, character and content: one they attributed to themselves and the
other they dubbed “joint communique between Ikwo indigenous professionals in diaspora and Izhi Nnodo Forum in UK." This we believe they have done in order to score cheap political points and gain undue political advantage, forgetting to remind themselves that the fact speaks
for itself and for all intents and purposes, facts are all-powerful and can kill.
C. While there was an attempt at a joint meeting to discuss the current crises between Enyigba and Enyigbichiri-Alike Ikwo, the Izhi Nnodo Forum in UK wishes to clarify that while the discussion was still ongoing, our Ikwo brothers hurriedly proceeded to the media to publish a
purported joint communique which contents as the time of the said publication were yet to be finalised and formally signed by the two parties. Upon close scrutiny and/or examination of the
purportedly published joint communique, we noticed that some extremely very concerning and provocative assertations and/or statements of facts that we had previously and overwhelmingly rejected had been smuggled in. In that respect, the Izhi Nnodo Forum in UK wishes to state the following:
1. At no point whatsoever did we jointly question the genuineness of the state government under the visionary leadership of His Excellency, Engr Chief David Umahi, over the handling of the crisis, as stated by paragraph 6 of the said joint communique.
2. At no time whatsoever did we demand the release of the stakeholders arrested in connection with this crisis contrary to what is stated in paragraph 7 of the said joint communique published on: www.peoplesguidenews.com.
The correct position is that as a well-meaning and responsible group, we have always aligned ourselves with the position of the Ebonyi State government, CAN and other stakeholders over the arrest
and possible prosecution of any individual or group of individuals who are found to be complicit in the escalation of this crisis. We insist without any fear or favour that no individual or stakeholder or group of individuals by whatsoever name called and no matter how highly placed who are alleged to have caused and/or fuelled this crisis should ever fail to face the full weight of the law.
3. As a group, the Izhi Nnodo Forum in UK will continue to align ourselves with and/or stand with the position of Ebonyi State Government over this crisis, in particular, in relation to the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted children and women, which sparked off the current crises.
4. While we advise the youths, traditional rulers, and stakeholders of both communities to continue to work with the government to achieve a lasting solution to the problem, we admonish some war-mongering elements from both communities to shun any act capable of causing or triggering off any form of reprisal attacks in both communities, including publishing inflammatory material on social media.
OUR DEMAND:
i. We demand the Ikwo Indigenous Professionals in Diaspora to, without delay, take down the purported communiqu published on: www.peoplesguidenews.com and put an end to this deliberate misleading of the public and stop dragging the name of our prestigious forum into disrepute. If our Ikwo brothers had any reason to believe that we were joint authors of the said joint communique, then they would not have proceeded to put the same communique up for announcement over the radio in their own name and under their own hand.
ii. We demand the Ikwo Indigenous Professionals in Diaspora to immediately, without delay, tender an unreserved public apology to be published through the same media channel where the purported joint communique was published.
As a group, the Izhi Nnodo Forum ) win UK will continue to engage with all well-meaning and peace loving Nigerians and Ebonyi citizens in particular to resolve the lingering crisis between the two warring communities. The Izhi Nnodo Forum in UK stands for peace, integrity and peaceful coexistence of all Ebonyi State.
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