Ugochi OkoroBy Ugochi Okoro
Archbishop of Enugu Diocese Anglican Communion, Most Rev Emmanuel Chukwuma, has joined voices with those calling for the release of detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Archbishop Chukwuma, made the call during service on Sunday, on 24 September 2023.
He called on Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu to release Kanu to Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership.
The religious leader spoke when the leadership of Ohanaeze, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, attended a thanksgiving service at the Cathedral Church of Good Shepherd, Independence Layout, Enugu, as part of this year’s Igbo Day Celebration which will takes place at the Michael Okpara Square, Independence Layout Enugu, on Friday, 29 September 2023.
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Bishop Chukwuma said that President Tinubu as a democrat, should obey the rule of law and release Kanu in line with court order which had ordered that the IPOB leader should be freed.
“We must make Tinubu to obey the rule of law, Nnamdi Kanu must be released; they should stop deceiving themselves. Let them release Nnamdi Kanu to Ohanaeze Ndigbo, let them release him to you and see what will happen,” Archbishop Chukwuma told the Ohanaeze President-General, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, during the thanksgiving service on Sunday.
“Thank God we are overcoming sit-at-home on Mondays, Peter Mbah is trying, insisting that Mondays must not be wasted, Alaigbo must not be wasted. Please all of you should cooperate, let us revive the economy of South East,” the Anglican Archbishop added.
Welcoming Ohanaeze Ndigbo to the Cathedral of Good Shepherd, the Archbishop urged all Igbos to support Iwuanyanwu’s leadership, explaining that he was a unanimous choice.
He said: “my people please this is a new Ohanaeze Ndigbo. It is in this Cathedral compound that I hosted all church leaders, inviting all the Igbo leaders, several times, in order to ensure that Ndigbo have one voice and peace in Ohanaeze Ndigbo. I tried everything to get Ndigbo together and we agreed to be one before Professor Obiozor died, now he is no more. I pray now that there is a new Ohanaeze under the leadership of Iwuanyanwu, we all met and said Iwuanyanwu should become the president-general and we have no more cases, no faction”
He went on to say that Ohanaeze Ndigbo is now ready to be self-funding, self-supporting, and called on governors in South-East to support the organisation.
He assured the Ohanaeze PG that God will help them in all their efforts to keep Igbo people united.
Chief Iwuanyanwu who attended the church service alongside the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other Igbo leaders said the Ndigbo have the potential to be great again, adding that his administration was doing everything possible to put them to work.
He encouraged Ndigbo not to despair over the current situation of the region, assuring that things would soon turn around for good.
He commended the governors of the five South-East states for their support to him since the assumption of office as President-General, and assured that with such support and that of other Igbo leaders including Ndigbo in the Diaspora, the Igbo would soon regain their greatness.
Chief Iwuanyanwu also thanked Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, for taking up the funding of the Igbo Day celebration.
“Enugu is the home of everybody in Eastern Nigeria. Enugu is the cradle of all the developments in Eastern Nigeria and whenever we come here, we have a sense of home coming, and that is how I feel right now,” Chief Iwuanyanwu stated.
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