Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, on Friday called on all Igbo-speaking states to reject the proposed cattle colonies in the country.
Rising from its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, Ohanaeze Ndigbo also urged governments of Igbo-speaking states to pass the anti-grazing laws to protect the people from further killings and harassment by marauding herdsmen.
A statement from the organisation by its Chief Nnia Nwodo, the president General, rejected the idea of colony, which it said would amount to forced territorial occupation.
Ohanaeze said that the population density per square kilometre in Igboland was very high and that many Igbo families were finding it difficult to get land to build their homes and farm.
It remarked that the concept of colony was alien to Ndigbo and was therefore unacceptable to the people. The organisation observed that Fulani herdsmen had co-existed with their Igbo host communities peacefully until recently when marauding herdsmen started killing and harassing their benevolent host without provocation thereby driving fear and suspicion into the people.
It wondered why the nefarious activities and killings by the Fulani herdsmen still occur across the land in spite of the efforts by the Federal Government, adding that the situation does not speak well for the unity of the country.
Meanwhile, Ohanaeze has described the demise of its one-time Secretary-General, Col. Joe Achuzia (rtd.), as a great loss to Ndigbo and Nigeria in general.
Reacting to the sudden passing away of the Biafra/Nigeria war veteran, Nwodo, said that the history of the war cannot be complete without mentioning the contributions of Col. Achuzia.
Nwodo stated that the exploits of bravery and military discipline exhibited by the late legendary commander remained a reference point in the annals of the country.
He recalled with nostalgia Col. Achuzia’s contributions to the development of Igboland and Nigeria as Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo between 2004 and 2007, adding that he died when his wealth of experience was need most to move the country forward.
Ohanaeze enjoined Ndigbo to bear his loss with fortitude and prayed God to give his soul eternal rest and his family the strength to bear the irreparable loss.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has regretted the security lapses that led to the abduction of more than one hundred school girls in Dapchi, in Yobe State.
Reacting to the unfortunate incidence in a release by his Media Adviser, Chief Emeka Attamah, the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, expressed surprise and disappointment that even after the unfortunate saga of the Chibok girls, security was not beefed up around schools in the Boko Haram prone parts of the North-East leading to another abduction of children who are trying to improve themselves in school.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo lamented the plight of these innocent girls who have been exposed to most tortuous condition for no crime of theirs but as victims of inexplicable brigandage and politics.
Chief Nwodo stated that the obvious porosity of the nation’s security suggests the need for a rejig of the security structure and further training for security operations in the country. He called on the Federal Government to do everything humanly possible to salvage the hapless girls and save their parents the attendant agony they must be going through.