Don’t allow enemies portray Igbo’s as criminals – Gov Nwifuru tells Ohaneze

Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, has called upon the prominent Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohaneze Ndigbo, to safeguard the reputation and dignity of the Igbo people from being tarnished by enemies.

Nwifuru conveyed this message through the state’s Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor, following a meeting with Ohaneze Ndigbo’s leadership in the capital of Ebonyi State, Abakaliki.

In response to a viral video that portrayed Ebonyi residents negatively in Anambra State, Nwifuru characterized it as an apparent attempt to damage the collective image of Ebonyi State and the Igbo community as a whole.

He encouraged Ohaneze’s leadership to continue serving as a unifying force for progress in the southeastern region. He emphasized that no Igbo individual can achieve saintliness by tarnishing the reputation of their fellow Igbo, as doing so would harm the overall image of the Igbo nation.

Governor Nwifuru urged Ohaneze’s leadership to extend the essence of their motto, “ONYE AGHANA NWANNEYA,” in promoting unity and togetherness among the people of the region. He strongly denounced criminal activities involving individuals from Ebonyi State, emphasizing that it is unjust to generalize all Ebonyi residents based on the actions of a few troublemakers.

He criticized the use of social media for trying suspects rather than adhering to due legal processes in a court of competent jurisdiction, emphasizing that the viral video not only tarnishes the reputation of Ebonyi people but also the collective image of the entire Igbo community.

In response, the leader of the Ohaneze team and the state president of the organization, Peter Mbam, affirmed their commitment to collaborating with the state government to ensure unity, peace, and order across the five states of the eastern region.