Igbo people deserve 2023 Presidency, Says COIPOW
Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja
The Conference of Igbo Professionals Worldwide, (COIPOW) has said that the Igbo people deserve the 2023 presidency saying, they have all it takes to produce the next president of Nigeria.
In a statement jointly signed by its National President, Prof. Patrick Kalu and National Secretary, Dr Uche Mbaka, COIPOW explained that its position followed an emergency National meeting held in Akwa, Anambra state on December 22, 2020 where key Igbo leaders deliberated and agreed on pushing for Igbo presidency in 2023.
Meanwhile, the group has kicked against the activities of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and asked governors of the South East region, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and well meaning Igbo sons and daughters to rise against the proscribed group by denouncing it wholeheartedly.
It also flayed the formation of Eastern Security Network by Kalu and urged the leadership of the region to rise against the action.
They described the Eastern Security Network as Illegal and expressed fear that the militia outfit may worsen the insecurity of the South East if not immediately stopped.
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It alleged that the weapons branded by the group in its recently released video were those carted away from police armories in the region during the recent #EndSARS protests.
It said, “We wish to express our profound appreciation to the key Igbo leaders that attended our just concluded emergency meeting held in Akwa , Anambra State, where we deliberated and agreed on pushing for Igbo presidency come 2023.
“This is the sure way to go and not the way the acclaimed leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu wants through the barrel of the gun. The gunpoint approach by Kanu is certainly not the way-out and he must be told so loud and clear’’.
They group while calling for a strong condemnation of Kanu and what he stand for added that it has become necessary to speak out because no one will take them serious if they do not take urgent steps to set the record straight by out rightly denouncing his inglorious activities.
“We cannot be demanding for president of Nigeria on one hand and on the other hand, supporting IPOB which is being fraudulently financed by Kanu and his agents to destabilize a united Nigeria through cessation and a parallel security organization.
“Nobody will take us serious if we don’t take urgent steps to set the record straight by out rightly denouncing the inglorious activities of IPOB and its sponsors and founder Nnamdi Kanu.
“It is on this premise that we strongly condemn the proscribed IPOB leader Mazi Nnamdi for forming the so called Eastern Security Network in some parts of the East,” it said.
The Conference of Igbo Professionals Worldwide added; “Forming this militia group at this critical time when we should be seen as peaceful and law abiding people that we are, is indeed not the best.”
“It must be known that IPOB and the so called Eastern Security Network do not have our blessings and will never do.
“We particularly call on the governors of the South East states and the Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide to rise up not only to condemn but also stop this brazing act of criminality which may have grave consequence on the entire Igbo nation if nothing is done urgently.
” We wish to state emphatically without hesitation that the IPOB and its leaders are a bunch of ignorant young men and mostly criminals who participate in armed robbery, kidnapping and sometimes bunkering activities in the South East and South South states” it added.
