Biafra: Ohaneze Ndigbo Cancels Igbo Day in Bayelsa

The Biafra agitations in Nigeria as well as the crises entailed appears to have affected the Igbo Day celebration.

 

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The pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Bayelsa State chapter, has cancelled this year’s Igbo Day celebration in the state.

 

The President of the group in the state, Chief Maurice Chinedu-Amaku, announced the cancellation at a news conference on Wednesday in Yenagoa, the state capital.

 

Chinedu-Amaku said the decision not to hold the Igbo Day slated for September 29 was due to “unfortunate incidents in the country” in the last few months.

 

He said the Igbo people were mourning and that there was no reason to celebrate in the midst of calamities that had befallen them in recent times.

 

He, therefore, urged Igbo sons and daughters in Bayelsa to mark this year’s celebration by praying within the confines of their individual homes for the peace and unity of the state and the country.

 

Chinedu-Amaku stated, ”The decision to make it a prayer day is born out of an agreement collectively reached by leaders and members of the Igbo community in the state.

”It will be recalled that before now, the Igbo Day was marked with so many activities that showcased the culture of the Igbo, but this year will be dedicated to prayers for a unified state and nation which will be done in the confines of our homes.

”We are therefore calling on all Igbo people to have a sober reflection on that day and hold prayers in their individual homes.

”In line with the resolution of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide and Ohaneze Ndigbo Bayelsa State, this year’s Igbo Day is aimed at committing the challenges of the Igbo ethnic nationality to God for divine intervention.

 

”We are all aware, none of us here is a stranger to the incidents that have been going on in this country in the past one month or two.

“Our people are mourning and because of that, we cannot come out to say we are celebrating.

 

”Are we celebrating over the graves and blood of our people? We are mourning and that is why we have decided to hold prayers in our closets to mourn our people.”

 

Present at the conference were His Royal Highness, Chief Anthony Uwakwe, Eze Igbo, Bayelsa State; special assistants to Governor, Chief Tony Madu, Chief Okwudiri Oko, and Chief Sunny Chukwuezi, as well as prominent Igbo sons and daughters in the state.