Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the leading socio-cultural organization representing the Igbos, has expressed strong reservations over the comments and actions of Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy.The organization accused Onanuga of harboring a deep-seated hatred towards the Igbo people.In a statement by Dr. Alex Ogbonnia, the National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the group criticized Onanuga for his inflammatory remarks about the planned nationwide protests, which he claimed were driven by supporters of Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, and insinuated that the Igbo were behind these protests.
The organization urged the government to develop policies and programs that address the suffering of all citizens, rather than issuing threats and making divisive statements.Dr. Ogbonnia noted Onanuga’s history of making offensive comments towards the Igbo, including a statement made on March 19, 2023, where Onanuga warned the Igbo to stay out of Lagos politics.Ohanaeze Ndigbo stressed that the current nationwide hardships are a result of long-standing systemic issues and marginalization, which require inclusive and thoughtful solutions.
Part of the statement read: “Ohanaeze Ndigbo views Onanuga’s bizarre dispositions towards anything Igbo as unthoughtful, loathsome, cantankerous, uncouth, repugnant, inflammable, repugnant and full of deep-seated hate.“It may be necessary to inform Onanuga that Nigerians of all persuasions, North, South, East and West are in pains of diverse forms: excruciating hardships, poverty, naira downward spiral, incessant kidnappings, banditry, farmers-herdsmen conflict, most terrifying insecurity, joblessness, rising food prices and cost of living challenges.
And that the prevailing hardship in Nigeria is blind to ethnicity.“It is necessary to inform Onanuga that this is a time for the Presidency to initiate policies, programmes, activities, and a body language that will appeal to or assuage the downtrodden, dispossessed, oppressed, the deprived, including Obidients.”