THE COALITION OF ALAIGBO RELIGIOUS AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS (CARECSO)
RE:- THE RAGING STATE OF INSECURITY IN OYIGBO (OBIGBO), RIVERS STATE & THE ABORTIVE EFFORTS OF CARECSO TO MEET WITH GOVERNOR WIKE OF RIVERS STATE.
Following the global outrage over the mass killings of Igbo Citizens in Oyigbo (Obigbo) in Rivers State, the Coalition of Alaigbo Religious ands Civil Society Organizations (CARECSO) decided to send a delegation to the State to meet with the Governor of the State as well as affected citizens and other stakeholders within Oyigbo area of Rivers State, in order to appraise the situation and have an informed idea of what was going on in the area,.
After due consultations with the leadership of CARECSO put together a delegation comprising several eminent citizens of Alaigbo, among whom are leading intellectuals and public figures which included three Archbishops, four bishops and other high-ranking clergy. There also several leading Traditional Rulers including Chairmen of State Council of Traditional Rulers and ex-Vice Chancellors of Universities, etc.
We made strenuous efforts to reach the Governor through His Excellency Hon Chibudom Nwuche, former Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives. We also wrote formally to the Governor through His Chief of Staff, Chief Emeka Woke, who confirmed that our letter seeking audience was delivered and he was awaiting directive of the Governor to arrange the meeting. Finally we contacted a former Governor of one of our States who also confirmed he did reach out to the Governor and advised him to try and meet with our delegation.
It is to be emphasized that some of the leading members of CARECSO have been urged by the Coordinator to try on their own to reach Governor Wike to urge him to meet with CATRECSO delegation,
Up till the moment of writing this, all efforts to meet with Governor Wike have proved abortive. Meanwhile, global outrage over the mindless killings of innocent people continue to mount and both CARECSO and ADF are being inundated with calls to intervene in whichever way they can to halt the continued state of pogrom going on in the state.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the South-East Governors’ Forum and Ohanaeze visited Governor Wike. The outcome of their visit appear indeed to have given Wike ‘A Clean Bill of Health, which is bound to make the Governor unwilling to receive any delegation that would raise a contrary view to that conveyed by the Governors of the South-East and Ohanaeze.
For us to appreciate the conjuncture of events which maker this period and the current events in Obigbo a very devastating experience for Ndigbo in general, we should consider the following – First, was the Communique of the meeting which the Governors of the South-East held with the General Buhari’s Chief of Staff, Prof Gambari. It has been described as a tragic Surrender Document pronounced by any leader of the Igbo nation. Besides it has done more damage than anything else to the historical task of Igbo national Integration. What is more, it confounds the any efforts to address the security of Igbo lives, property and besieged civilization and faith.
To appreciate these, we have to critically study the two communiques along with the speeches of Governor Wike banning IPOB and also the address he gave while receiving the South-East Governors. Of immense interest also is the video coverage of the meeting between Wike and the South-East delegation. What about Wike’s Video interview where he greatly relished with reckless abandon his declaration that he is not an Igboman? Someone has said that both declarations will remain an eternal chalice which hangs on Wike’s body and soul.
In the light of the above, the call by the Secretariat of CARECSO becomes overdue and now very urgent. Calls are continue pouring from Umuigbo all over the world who are all aghast as to what is happening to our mother land.
Consultations are now afoot as to when to hold this physical meeting and veru urgently too.
It is important to inform our compatriots that both ADF and CARECSO have been monitoring and collecting all relevant data on the tragic events in the Rivers State
We urge all the various organizations and leaders genuinely working for the security and the protection of our people to please bear with us as we address this emergency. At the same time we urge our compatriots to appreciate that what is need now is less noise less recriminations and less incendiary pronouncements.
PROF. UZODINMA NWALA2
ADF PRESIDENT
CARECSO COORDIANATOR