The Igbo Youth Leaders and Stakeholders Assembly has described as mischievous and unfounded, a statement attributed to the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Senator John Azuta Mbata, where he allegedly called on Igbo youths to acquire arms in readiness for war.
The alleged statement had quoted the Ohanaeze President as warning thus, "Every Igbo man from age 18 up must get a gun, stack weapons. Igbo land is under terrorist siege and must be defended. A war is coming in days."
But after its emergency meeting on Sunday, the Igbo Youth Leaders and Stakeholders said the statement was a clueless allegation from enemies of the Southeast region.
The Leader of the Assembly, Mazi Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, in a chat with newsmen in Awka, after the meeting, stated that Senator Azutta-Mbatta, who is the leader of the apex Igbo Sociocultural and Political Organization, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, did not and can never issue such a call to arms.
He maintained that the malicious propaganda and criminal blackmail, for whatever purpose and intention, is dead on arrival.
According to him, Senator Azutta-Mbata is a renowned statesman and remarkable patriot with impeccable character and an outstanding track record.
Condemning the statement, the group urged Ndigbo all over the world to disregard such comments.
“In strong terms, we condemn such mischievous and false insinuations and urge the unsuspecting public to disregard the fake news, and to consciously verify such sensitive content before dissemination, in order not to fall victim nor aid the peddlers of fake news, indirectly or unknowingly,” Okpalaezeukwu said.
While noting that the issue is a matter of National Security, Okpalaezeukwu insisted that the matter cannot be swept under the carpet.
Consequently, he called on the offices of the National Security Adviser(ONSA), the Inspector General of Police(IGP), the Director General of State Security Service(SSS) and other appropriate authorities, to collectively deploy their widespread investigation mechanisms in order to detect, arrest and prosecute the sponsors and promoters of the fake news.
According to him, the allegation is capable of undermining the people’s collective efforts for stability, peace and national security.
The group, however, observed that Igbo land, especially the Southeast, is a peculiar terrain with unique challenges ranging from a fair share of the national insecurity, gross marginalization and neglect, and absence of capital projects.
It commended the recent efforts of the South East Development Commission towards crafting the South East Vision 2050, which he noted, is geared towards addressing most of the peculiar challenges of the Igbo Nation.
The group called on the leadership and management of the Commission not to resort to business as usual, but to match words with action, rather than beautiful conferences and rhetoric.
“We also urge the Commission to work closely with the Southeast State Government and other Stakeholders and prioritize regional security as no meaningful development can thrive amidst insecurity.
“As we commend the genuine efforts of our Political Leaders and Security Agencies for safe and Secure communities, We respectfully call for political solutions and non kinetic approach to the hydra-headed security challenges facing us today as a nation,” the group stated.