By AKEEM ABAS
IBADAN- The Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Igbo Community Development Association (ICDA) in Oyo State, said all Igbos living in the state are under one umbrella.
They made this known at a news conference jointly addressed by the leaders of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and ICDA on Tuesday in Ibadan,
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the news conference was held to avoid crisis within the Igbo Community in Oyo State.
Addressing newsmen, Chief Alex Anozie, the Eze Ndigbo of Oyo State and Chief Emma Nzeako, the ICDA President, explained that the briefing was important to avoid crisis in the state.
NAN recalled that the Igbo leaders after several interventions had approached the court over the leadership tussle within the community.
It reports that the court had in three different judgments affirmed the leadership of Anozie and Nzeako as authentic in the state.
Anozie, in his remarks, appealed to all Igbos in the state to obey the subsisting judgment and sustain the peaceful coexistence among them.
According to him, sustenance of peace and harmony in a society is a collective responsibility of all.
“We are peace loving people. We are appealing to everyone to join hands with us to ensure peace reigns in Oyo State, where we are all residing,” he said.
Anozie appreciated the state government, traditional rulers and people of the state for the hospitality extended to all ethnic groups in the state.
In his remarks, Nzeako said that some people have been claiming to be Igbo leaders in the state, calling on security agencies to beware of their antics.
He said: “We are peace loving and law abiding people. Igbos residing in Oyo state have been supportive to all successive governments, irrespective of their party affiliations.
“Please, all authorities, including the media and Nigerians residing in Oyo State should advice these group of people who boast to be highly connected, to be law abiding in the interest of peace.
“We say this because, we are peace loving Ndigbo in Ibadan and Oyo State. We believe in the rule of law and won’t want to see a breakdown of law and order in our society.
“This is why we are raising this alarm,” he said.
Nzeako appealed to the Gov. Seyi Makinde, the judiciary, Police, the DSS, Olubadan of Ibadan, Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII) and all lovers of peace to come to intervene in the interest of peace.
He said, “we are calling on all authorities to intervene to avoid crisis within Igbo Community in the state.” (NAN)
