Ohaneze Backs Ekweremadu, Condemns Attempts To Discredit Him

The Pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohaneze Ndigbo, says any attempt to discredit the Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu will be resisted.

According to the group, it is preposterous for the Federal Government and its agencies to embark on unwarranted attacks and inquisition into Chief Ekweremadu’s life.

President-General of the group, Chief Nnia Nwodo said the allegation that Ekweremadu, the highest ranking Igbo politician in the country, embezzled public funds without any prima facie case was inappropriate.

In a statement released on Thursday in Enugu, Nwodo said the idea of asking the Senator to defend himself instead of his accusers showing how he fraudulently enriched himself, amounted to turning the law upside down.

He stated that Ekweremadu was a revered Igbo son, who has attracted a lot of development to his area without any previous accusation of embezzlement.

“Senator Ekweremadu is a revered Igbo son whose public image is very high and who has attracted a lot of development to his area; he has never occupied any public office where he was accused of embezzlement.”

Nwodo queried the system of investigation where one was tried for simply belonging to a political party “and is exonerated of an offence he committed for belonging to a political party or being in government.”

He cited examples of former and serving military officers who had been let off the hook either through plea bargain or for just changing from one political party to another.

The Ohaneze President also noted that a former governor of Enugu State whose property was under investigation is now dining with the President after dumping his former party for the ruling party.

He warned that the apex Igbo group would no longer fold it arms while Igbo sons are being systematically singled out for persecution in a country they had contributed so much to build.

He said the cautionary statement by Ekweremadu had been and was still being echoed by many prominent Nigerians and wondered why his case would be different.

President-General further said it was such selective justice and marginalization of Ndigbo that fuelled agitations by their young ones for self-determination, adding that restructuring was a first step toward assuaging the situation – NAN