World Igbo Congress, WIC, has urged the Imo State House of Assembly, IMHA to immediately commence impeachment proceedings against the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma due to his alleged complicity in the gruesome murder of fourteen persons in Awomama, Oru East LGA of the state by Ebubeagu operatives on July 17, 2022.
The foremost Diaspora Igbo organization had threatened to work for the recall of the state legislators, if they fail to commence the impeachment proceedings.
This was contained in a statement issued by the organization on Wednesday, signed by Prof. Anthony Ejiofor and Hon Basil Onwukwe, the organization’s Chairman and Public Relations Officer, Hon. Basil Onwukwe respectively.
the WIC noted with dismay, the massacre of 14 young Igbo men in Awomama, Imo state by agents of the state.It also stated that much of the killings in the state had been by the Military, State Security agents, but now the Ebubeagu outfit at the behest of the Imo State government under the APC administration, recalling that many youths in the Orlu area especially have been killed since the inauguration of Mr. Hope Uzodinma as the governor of Imo state.It stated that Imo state used to be the safest, and most peaceful state in Nigeria and the Southeast in particular until the Uzodinma administration, but that the height of dark clouds in the state was with the massacre of 14 innocent citizens of Otulu who were returning from a sacred tradition of marriage in Awomama.
The WIC took offence at the characterization of the victims as bandits, stating that the labelling offends the sensibilities of the Igbo at home and certainly in the Diaspora, who have watched Mr. Uzodinmma’s style of governance closely, from inception till date, and see its unmistakable anti-Igbo stand in everything.“World Igbo Congress believes that “nmọnwu adighi eti onwe ya”. If you are governor of Imo State, you are the leader of a group of Ndi Igbo who happen to be Imolites.
You cannot orchestrate the demands and wishes of those who want to annihilate the Igbo. We, have noted the ultimatums issued by the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, calling for the immediate resignation of the Governor of Imo State over these killings, and the immediate dismantling of Ebubeagu, which, in any case is an ill-motivated and ill-intentioned security outfit not belonging to the Igbo.
We note that no proper Act of the Imo State Assembly established this outfit or its proper legal instrument of governance.“We consider the reported shutting down of the Ozisa 96.1 owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri by the Imo State government in Concert with the National Broadcasting Corporation for reporting the massacre as suggestive of a pitiful attempt at coverup. The station should be reopened forthwith.
“Consequently, the World Igbo Congress, after an emergency meeting of its affiliates, House of Delegates, Executive Committee and the Board of Directors, supports the COSEYL call on the Imo state governor to resign immediately following urgent/direct due process of investigation that affirms his involvement.
“We call on the Attorney General of Imo State to immediately dismantle the oppressive and disastrous Ebubeagu Security Network because it was not established under any Act of the State Assembly. It is, therefore, in our estimation an outlaw outfit no better than a private Army at the disposal of the State governor(s).“We call for immediate prosecution of those who took part in killing the young men at Awomama. We invite the honorable members of the Imo State House of Assembly to, immediately, commence impeachment proceedings on the governor, and to set up an Atrocities Commission to investigate the Awomama and other massacres under Imo state laws.
“We hereby serve notice that World Igbo Congress will commence the process of recall and impeachment, if need be, throughout Imo State should the Assembly Members demur. This will also serve as notice to all supposed ‘political leaders’ of Igbo land that there will be consequences for betrayal of collective Igbo interests henceforth,” WIC warned.
