Stop senseless killings, Ohaneze tells Northern leaders

Posted by admin Headlines, South-East Sunday, February 5th, 2012

The Anambra State chapter of the Ohaneze Ndigbo has asked traditional and political leaders in the North to stop the senseless killings and destruction of property by the Boko Haram sect.

The Chairman of the Anambra State chapter of Ohaneze, Dr. Philip Atamuo, told SUNDAY PUNCH at Adazi Nnukwu, Anambra State on Friday that the killings, if unchecked, were likely to cause another civil war.

The Ohaneze chairman said, “I don’t believe that somebody will tell us they don’t know what is going on and they cannot stop the senseless killings.

“We call on the traditional rulers in the North; the big politicians, senators and governors to get together and stop this thing that is happening because it’s not in the interest of justice and fairness, which we consider the guiding light in Nigeria.

“People seem to forget that it’s these kinds of killings that caused the first civil war. Do we really want to go back to civil war? In whose interest will it be?

“If we are truly speaking of one Nigeria and maintaining that principle of one Nigeria, then all Nigerians should have the right to live where they want, work where they want and worship where they want.

“You cannot pretend to have one Nigeria when you restrict some Nigerians from going to some other parts of the country or worshipping as they wish or talking as they wish. Then we are not talking about one country.”

Atamuo however appealed to the Igbo of the South-East not to retaliate by killing northerners residing in the South-East.

“But we should encourage the government to look into this situation. We have government; we have military; we have police; we have traditional rulers in the North. They should do something about it,” he said.

Last week Saturday, a meeting of South-East political leaders, comprising the Secretary to Federal Government, Senator Pius Anyim, the five governors, National Assembly members, former governors and former lawmakers, among others, condemned the spate of killings in the country, especially as it affected the Igbo.

A communiqué of the prolonged meeting read by Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, stated “We are angry at and condemn the spate of killings going on in the country, especially as it affects Ndigbo.”

-Punchwp_posts