Apex Igbo sociocultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo has appealed to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to stop attacking it.
The President General of Ohanaeze, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, made the appeal in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Chief Emeka Attamah and made available to the media on Saturday.
Nwodo said that the call had become necessary as ceaseless attacks by IPOB against Ohanaeze runs against the overall interest of Ndigbo.
He said that IPOB has continued to blame Ohanaeze for its woes at the slightest opportunity despite the organisation’s best efforts to prove they are on the same side.
Nwodo lamented that despite condescending and making numerous clarifications on its stand on IPOB, the group had continued to make attacking Ohanaeze its favourite pastime.
Read Also: Biafra, Buhari And His ‘Soft’ Civil War – By Femi Fani-Kayode
One of the constant attacks, Nwodo said, came when the Nigerian Army announced its proposed Python Dance 3 special operation in Igbo land.
He said that although the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze, Uche Achi-Okpaga, condemned the operation on the same newspaper page as IPOB, the group still attacked Ohanaeze for “silence” in the face of the announcement.
Nwodo disclosed that Ohanaeze had refused to join issues with IPOB in order not to worsen the situation in Igbo land and make the region a laughing stock to other parts of the country.
While appreciating the effort of revered constitutional lawyer, Prof. Ben Nwabueze to broker peace between the two bodies, Ohanaeze called on all other prominent Igbo sons and daughters to intervene and call IPOB to order for the sake of Igbo land.
Speaking on the proposed Operation Python Dance 3 by the military, Ohanaeze urged the authorities to suspend it as another exercise of the nature of Python Dance 2 could lead to unexpected problems since Igbo lives were lost in the previous exercise.