Exclusion of Igbo in appointment of Service Chiefs a slap.
IFEANYI EZUGWU,ENUGU.
The South-East chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Monday cautioned the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) against carrying out its threat to drag the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Hague for alleged extra-judicial killings, noting that if the threat is carried out, it would set the stage for inter-tribal war in the country.
The Northern Elders through their spokesman, Prof Ango Abdulahi had threatened to drag Ihejirika to ICC, accusing him and six other unnamed top military officers of alleged extra-judicial killings and strangulation of civilians by soldiers in Barma and Giwa Barracks in Borno state using an underground detention centre.
But briefing newsmen on the development, the CAN chairman in south-east and Anglican Bishop of Enugu, Bishop Emmanuel Chukwuma said any attempt at persecuting the former COAS as a result of the actions that were taken while he was in office would be resisted by the Igbos, urging the Northern leaders to be well guided and advised.
“Northern elders should be warned or they will set up inter-tribal war in Nigeria. Is it because Ihejirika is an Igbo man. Any attempt to sue him or drag him before the ICC will be resisted by the Igbos. Let them know it that we are ready to defend our brother because he has done nothing to warrant anybody taking him to Hague,” he said.
“The present appointment of Service Chiefs does not reflect geographical balance. The appointment is a slap on the Igbo nation. A situation whereby an Igbo is excluded from appointment into the security council is total unacceptable. I am speaking on behalf of CAN south-east. The president should reflect our identity in the appointment.
On the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party,PDP, the clergyman tasked the party to,” instill the culture of recruiting leaders with credibility to forestall revolution in the country. People above seventy in PDP should desist from partisan politics.
