Ebonyi State Government, under the leadership of Governor Francis Nwifuru, has tasked Ohanaeze Ndigbo to rise up and protect the image of its citizens living in Anambra State.
Through the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation Jude Okpor, the State government gave the charge when he received the State chapter of Ohaneze Ndigbo led by the president, Mr Peter Mbam, who paid a courtesy visit to his office on the weekend.
According to Okpor, Ebonyi indigenes in all parts of the world are industrious, hardworking, and law-abiding people. He then frowns at how the criminal activities of some hoodlums who claimed to be from the state should be used to generalize Ebonyians as criminals.
He, therefore described the allegations as a purported attempt to tannish the corporate image of the State and called on the Igbo Cultural Apex Organisation, OHANEZE NDIGBO, to remain the leading umbrella of Unity and Progress in the zone.
Okpor also noted that no Igbo man can attain the level of sainthood by tarnishing the image of his or her brother but would summarily dent the collective image of the Igbo nation. He, however, enjoined the leadership of Ohanaeze to use their influence in extending the content of their slogan, “ONYE AGHANA NWANNEYA,” in propagating the unity and oneness of the people of the zone.
The Commissioner also decried the use of social media in trying suspects instead of following due process through the court of competent jurisdiction, stressing that when the viral video gets out of the shores of Igbo land, it will not only tarnish the image of Ebonyi People but the corporate image of the Igbos at large. He then charged the state chapter of Ohaneze to always strive to work in synergy with their members in other states to protect the corporate image of Igbo people across the globe.
The Commissioner further reassured them of the government’s readiness to partner with them to achieve the desired result.
On his part, the leader of the team and state president of the union, Mr Peter Mbam, assured the State government of their readiness to partner with the present administration and contribute their quota to the development of the state.
He pleaded with the Information Commissioner to assist in the media publicity of the activities of the union in the state.
The Ohaneze, an apex body of the Igbo socio-cultural organisation in the state, was warmly received by the Commissioner and other principal officers of the ministry.
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