By CHARLES ONYEKWERE, Awka
Apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has slammed the Anambra State governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, over his recent remarks that 99.9 percent of criminals operating in the South East are of Igbo origin.
The group described the statement as damaging, misleading and a major blow to the region’s image before foreign investors and the global community.
Ohanaeze expressed outrage at what it called “lamentable misstatements” made by Governor Soludo during the recent Igbo USA Town-Hall Meetings in the United States of America.
The governor’s claim, the group said, grossly misrepresents the reality of insecurity in the region and undermines efforts to attract foreign investment and rebuild confidence in the South East.
According to a statement issued yesterday by the factional Deputy President-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, and Chief Thompson Ohia, National Spokesperson, the comments made by Soludo risk painting the entire Igbo nation in a negative light.
The group warned that such generalizations not only inflame public sentiment but also threaten the economic viability of a region already battling the effects of political marginalization and social instability.
Ohanaeze noted that criminal elements in the South-East should not be exclusively attributed to Igbo youths, adding that the real threat lies with external aggressors, especially Fulani militias, who have been linked to numerous killings and kidnappings across the region.
The organisation questioned why Governor Soludo failed to acknowledge these known threats in his remarks, especially when security reports point to the involvement of foreign elements in some of the most heinous crimes committed in recent times.
“The assertion that 99.9 percent of criminals in the South-East are Igbos is categorically false and reckless,” the statement read. “This is not just a misstep but an unacceptable betrayal of trust. It is highly irresponsible for any leader, let alone a governor, to go on an international platform and tarnish the reputation of his own people.”
Ohanaeze accused Soludo and other South East governors of neglecting their core responsibilities by shifting blame to the same citizens they are expected to protect.
The group criticized what it described as leadership failure and moral collapse among the governors, who it claims have refused to take decisive action to curb insecurity, choosing instead to scapegoat their own people.
The group condemned the failure of the South-East Governors Forum to follow through on its July 2, 2024, resolution to engage President Bola Tinubu on the deteriorating security situation in the region and the urgent need for the release of IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
