BIAFRA: UN worried, meets Ohanaeze Ndigbo

Worried by the agitation for a Biafra republic in the South-East and how to strengthen the unity of Nigeria, a United Nations (UN) delegation on Thursday met behind closed-doors with Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Enugu..

The UN delegation was led by the international body’s special representative of its Secretary-General, Ambassador Mohamed Ibn Chambas.

Members of Ohanaeze led by its president general, Nnia Nwodo, who were at the meeting were its deputy president-general and former deputy governor of Ebonyi State, Prof. Chigozie Ogbu; Enugu State president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Alex Ogbonnia; Dr. Ifedi Okwenna; and chairman of Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council, Amb. Lawrence Agubuzor, and several others..

Amb. Chambas, in his address to newsmen on their mission explained that they were in the South-East of Nigeria to commend the Ohanaeze leadership on the way and manner it handled the issue in the region which threatened Nigeria’s unity, especially at its crisis point.

According to Chambas, the UN was recently worried over the events in Nigeria most especially in the South-East. He assured however, that the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, supports a united Nigeria that does not disregard and trample upon human rights.

“We indeed came to commend them for the leadership they have demonstrated. Few months ago, we were all getting a bit worried with events and developments in the South-East of Nigeria but thanks to their leadership and their initiatives, they were able to bring together the chiefs and the political leaders and governors and respected persons of South-East and through this intervention, we now see that calm is restored and all are working to advance the one Nigeria agenda.

“The Secretary General believes in this one Nigeria project because he had always said that a united peaceful Nigeria is not only for the people of Nigeria, but indeed for the people of West Africa and for all of Africa. We know the strength the people of South-East bring to Nigeria and to the sub region. There is hardly a single country in West Africa where you will not find enterprising persons from the South-East who are in their own rights economic ambassadors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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“So our simple message is to encourage the leaders, the elders of the South-East to continue to endeavour to seek ways in which they can work with all other parts of the federation and to strengthen the unity of this country and through a constructive approach to seek dialogue to redress whatever short coming there may be,” Chambas said.

In his address to newsmen, Nwodo said that on July 12, 2017, Ohanaeze wrote to the Secretary General of the United Nations about the security infrastructure in Nigeria, especially as it affects the region.

He added that the UN had on October 10 responded to the letter where it promised to send its representative for West Africa and the Sahel.

Nwodo added, “We had very fruitful and frank discussions with Ambassador Chambas. He has assured us that the United Nations represents prevention of conflicts, represents promotion of development in a manner that improves quality of life and prevents resort to conflicts and protects human rights.”

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