Umahi to Peter Obi: You don’t speak for Igbo, as South-east residents shun protest, open markets

….Enugu, Abia, Imo residents stay indoors

…Businesses shut in Ebonyi

All markets, stores and artisans’ shops in Nnewi, the industrial town of Anambra and Onitsha, the commercial city of Anambra State, opened for business as traders and youths shunned the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest that started yesterday across the country.

As usual, as early as 6:30 am, commercial buses and tricycle movements were noticeable on the roads and streets in Nnewi and Onitsha, conveying traders and artisans to their respective markets, stores and shops in the towns.

Ndigbo had severally made their opposition known on the planned protests or 10 days of rage that started yesterday.Anambra State markets’ leaderships have assured that none of the markets would be shut down during the #EndBadGovernance protest ongoing across the country.

There was normalcy in Onitsha and Nnewi, both commercial hubs of the state and other environs with filling stations and banks opened and transporters hustling for their daily bread.

To douse the tension already generated by the protest, particularly among the traders and customers, Innocent Ezeoha, Chairman of Onitsha Main Market said the Igbo are not part of it.

“You can see that the shops are open for business and traders and customers going about peacefully.

“There is normalcy here. We are not part of the protest. We are already suffering hardship and staying at home doing nothing and pouring out on the streets to protest will not be the best option.“

We want government at all levels to do the needful. They should also help traders by ensuring a conducive environment for business to thrive in the country.”

James Oraka, a trader at Nkwo Nnewi Market said protests have never solved social problems in the country, adding: “We, the Igbo don’t want to be part of the protest because other tribes will say we engineered it at the end. We are learning from history.”

At the filling stations visited, the fuel pump attendants were busy dispensing the product to prospective customers.

Other business activities are moving with security operatives doing their normal duties and no harassment of people.

One Igbo vocal group that made their opposition categorically clear on the protest is the United Igbo Elders Council, UNIEC, Worldwide, and their stand, according to a statement they issued, yesterday is “based essentially on the differential attitude to human rights that the organisers have shown towards the Igbo/East in particular, and other Nigerians as well.”

UNIEC, in the statement signed by its Director, Media and Publicity, Prof. Obasi lgwe, and its Coordinator General, His Lordship Alpha Justice, said: “The loud silence, signalling acquiescence of some of its organisers to the extremely targeted injustices against the Igbo/East and for the last nine years, orchestrated killings with countless evidences of official involvement or connivance with no sympathy from anywhere, baffles the imagination.

”UNIEC’s statement entitled, Rage or Protest in Nigeria: Position of the United Igbo Elders Council, UNIEC, Worldwide, rather made a 10-point demand on Mr President to stabilise Nigeria instead of supporting the protest.

Some of the demands included the immediate lifting of the economic and ports blockade against the Igbo/East, imposed since 1967 and subsisting till today, by which Port Harcourt, Bonny, Opobo, and other Eastern ports were rendered inutile, except for oil purposes, compelling the Igbo to divert en masse to Lagos to conduct their maritime businesses.

You don’t speak for Igbo, Umahi tells Peter Obi

Meantime, Minister of Works, David Umahi, has lambasted Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in 2023 election, saying he is not the mouthpiece for the Igbo.

Umahi added that Obi should refrain from allegedly inciting the youths of the South-East against the administration of President Bola Tinubu ahead of the planned August 1 protest.

Umahi spoke, Wednesday, during the Ebonyi State Youth and Stakeholders Summit at the Christian Ecumenical Centre in Abakaliki.

“Let me make this clear: Mr. Peter Obi does not speak for Ndigbo. Our governors, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and our traditional rulers are our leaders; they speak for us.

Let the enemies of Ndigbo hear this loud and clear: our governors and Ohanaeze Ndigbo are the mouthpieces of Ndigbo.