*Ohanaeze, UNBi, PANDEF tackle media mogul
The chairman emeritus of DAAR Communication, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, has been berated over his comment on Igbo presidency.
Dokpesi, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a statement on Monday said Nigerians are afraid that a president of Igbo extraction would allow the country’s breakup over what he called the overwhelming influence of the founder of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu in the region.
The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo said it is sad and unfortunate that at 70 years of age, Dokpesi could try to run down any ethnic group in the country.
The national publicity secretary of Ohanaeze, Chief Alex Ogbonna, added that “It is curious that such a respectable individual as Dokpesi could go out to talk from left, right, to centre – talking from all directions.”
He noted that while Ohanaeze Ndigbo is not in support of Kanu’s style of agitation – secession – the group is fully aware of the marginalization and injustice which Ndigbo have suffered in Nigeria.
“Truth is that where IPOB, Kanu or MASSOB is talking about secession, we Ohanaeze and the rest of our leaders are talking about the restructuring of the country. That’s our point of departure because we believe that one united Nigeria where equity, fairness, peace and justice reign will accommodate and benefit all of us,” he said.
The National Publicity Secretary of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ken Robinson, while reacting to the statement said it is difficult to fathom why Dokpesi would draw such ‘an outrageous conclusion’ and urged him to refrain from making such statements.
“If that statement was truly made by Dokpesi, and he’s not being misquoted, then it’s unfortunate and most disappointing. It’s difficult to fathom why he would draw such an outrageous conclusion. We would urge the respected High Chief and media guru to refrain from making such reckless statements,” he stated.
The United for Better Nigeria Initiative (UNBi) on its part said Dokpesi by his divisive comments against the Igbo people is using his media platform to drag venom against the country.
UBNi, an advocacy group working for the realisation of a South East presidency in 2023, also urged former vice president Atiku Abubakar, to dissociate himself from comments capable of overheating the polity.
In a statement signed by its national coordinator, Mrs Nkolika Mkparu, UNBi noted that a large number of people from the South East believe in one Nigeria and they have investments all over the country, working and developing anywhere they find themselves and call the place home.
The group insisted that the emergence of a Nigerian president of the South East extraction will not only unify and progress the country but also engender cohesion in the polity.
(Adopted from Daily Trust)
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