It looks like moderate Igbo leaders like Anyim and Nwobodo knew what was in store for them and stayed away. Now Obasanjo have to understand that Igbo that Biafrans like Ojukwu doesn't get fooled that easily. Please read this from Biafran ekwe NcheSubject: [IGBO_FORUM] Igbo leaders boycott talks on constitution
Igbo leaders boycott talks on constitution
From Chris Oji, Enugu
It was a bad maiden outing yesterday for the much-publicised zonal conference on the report of the Presidential Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution in Enugu.
Angry youths stormed the Hotel Presidential venue to disrupt the presentation of the document. They asked for a sovereign national conference. Besides, prominent Igbo citizens stayed away from the event.
No notable Igbo leader, besides the Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Sam Egwu and one- time Information Minister, Dr. Walter Ofonagoro, showed up at the forum.
Senator Jim Nwobodo and former Information Minister Chief John Nwodo Jnr. who had on Sunday night hosted Professor Jerry Gana to a dinner where he spoke of his mission, also stayed away. So also was Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu and Dr. Alex Ekwueme.
Dr. Ofonagoro, who was invited as one of the seven discussants, said he came based on the assurance by Gana that it would be a mere presentation and that discussions would follow for the next six months. "I reason with Ohanaeze. I am not only here as a discussant, I came also out of curiosity".
The Acting Governor of Enugu State, Chief Okechukwu Itanyi, said that the presentation was a good start.
He said that since it would not hurt to allow Nigerians to talk eyeball-to-eyeball, no one should boycott the forum.
The youths, apparently, came to enforce the directive by Ohanaeze Ndigbo that Ndigbo should boycott the conference.
The pan-Igbo organisation had in a press statement urged Ndigbo not to participate in the conference, but an unprecedented crowd of people turned out at the venue to witness proceedings.
At the venue were some Ohanaeze members, such as Dr. J.O.J. Okezie, Prof. Godwin Odenigwe, Igwe Alex Nwokedi, The Eze Aro of Arochukwu and Eze Njemanze of Owerri.
Other Ohanaeze members in attendance were Chief Enechi Onyia (SAN), Igwe Austin Ezenwa, the Acting Governor of Enugu State, Chief Okechukwu Itanyi and Senator Ebenezer Ikeyina.
The attorneys-general of Anambra and Abia states were also there.
Some 2000 Ohanaeze youths arrived at the venue, chanting war songs and solidarity songs in support of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
They tried to prevent people from entering the hall, which was already overflowing but were resisted.
The youths forced their way into the hall where they made it impossible for the audience to hear the Gana and his team.
While the speeches were being delivered, the youths sang on top of their voices to drown the voice from the microphone.
Gana, however, was undeterred as he went on to carry out his assignment which he said was specifically and primarily to distribute the report of the presidential committee.
The minister said he was highly satisfied that people came from all parts of the South East zone to attend the presentation of the report.
Chiding the Ohanaeze for misunderstanding the idea and purpose of the conference, the minister said it was not meant for debate and contributions but only to be presented to the people to peruse and digest for a later conference which would soon come up. He gave no date.
Gana apologised to the people that he never knew that the turnout would be so large, otherwise the event would have been held on an open field.
Gana struggled to contain the restive youths who carried placards denouncing the forum as a ruse. He was not allowed to say much.
He said that three issues stood out on the 92 proposed amendments deciphered from the over two million presentations submitted to the Presidential Committee on Review of the Constitution.
These are:
• terms of office of President, governors and local government chairmen; and
• demand for a Sovereign National Conference and the desire for true federalism.
Gana said that since the government had not taken a final decision yet, the public should have frank discussions on the proposed amendments.
The protesters never gave him room to fully articulate the documents. The attendance at the forum that started about 11 a.m. was much. The hall was hot.
The youths spoke and sang, causing so much distraction.
When it was apparent that there would be no peace, Gana ordered National Orientation officials to flood the place with copies of the reports. People were reached through windows and other outlets.
Ohanaeze had in the statement told the Federal Government that it was not participating in the conference, and urged Ndigbo to boycott it.
Ohanaeze’s grouse is that the letter informing it of the conference was silent on the proposed National Conference to which Ndigbo and many Nigerians are committed".
Ohanaeze said: "We have not received any documents on the report. We do not know the modalities for the exercise nor do we know the objective. Uninformed people do not make inputs."
It asked: "Are the zonal conferences substitutes to the proposed National Conference? Or, do they offer just an option, which does not preclude and exclude the necessity of other options?"
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Biafra: save my bullets when I die, Oh Biafra, Allelua if I surrender and that will be forever.
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