Independence: Ohanaeze alleges Igbo marginalisation, demands Kanu’s release

Kanu

The apex socio-cultural organisation in Igbo land, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has joined Nigerians in celebrating the nation’s 65th Independence Anniversary while lamenting the continued marginalisation of the Igbo and the prolonged detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ezechi Chukwu, on Tuesday, the organisation described Kanu’s incarceration as “a blot on the conscience of the nation.”

Quoting its President-General, Senator Azuka Mbata, the statement said Ohanaeze and the Igbo nation at large “remain deeply committed to the ideals of unity, love, peace, justice and national development, but not at the cost of our dignity or continued marginalisation.”

Mbata laments that despite Igbo’s “resilience and contributions in commerce, innovation, education and culture, Igbos remain burdened by systemic exclusion, unaddressed wounds of history, and the shrinking space for political and structural inclusion.”

He said, “No nation can endure indefinitely when a section of its population feels alienated or reduced to second-class citizens. Nigeria must rise to a new dawn, where every child—whether born in Aba, Jos, Calabar, Katsina, Enugu or Kano—can aspire to lead, to thrive and to belong.”

Ohanaeze further urged the Federal Government to pursue constitutional reforms that would “unleash the full potential of all federating units, including Ala Igbo,” describing it as not just a political necessity but “a moral imperative.” Punch