The World Igbo Congress (WIC) has joined the call for the immediate resignation of the Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma over the killings of 14 youths in Awomama, Imo State by agents of the State.
The United States of America (USA)-based group, in a statement by Hon. Basil Onwukwe, Public Relations Officer (PRO) and Prof. Anthony Ejiofor, Chairman, also called on the Attorney General of the State to immediately dismantle the Ebubeagu Security outfit, insisting that it is oppressive and not a creation of any law in the state.
Another group, the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) had earlier issued the Governor a similar ultimatum for him to resign over the same killings which the Governor has said was done by DSS operatives.
The WIC also demanded the commencement of immediate prosecution of those who took part in the killing of the young men who were said to have been returning from a traditional wedding ceremony in Awomama in Oru East local government on Sunday July 17, 2022 when they were gunned down.
While inviting the Imo State House of Assembly members to commence immediate impeachment proceedings against the Governor, the WIC equally called for the setting up of “an Atrocities Commission to investigate the Awomama and other massacres under Imo state laws.”
The organization stressed that it “will commence the process of recall and impeachment, if need be, throughout Imo State should the Assembly Members demur,” noting that they were serving “notice to all supposed “political leaders” of Igbo land that there will be consequences for betrayal of collective Igbo interests henceforth.”
The WIC said that these decisions were arrived at “after an emergency meeting of its affiliates, House of Delegates, Executive Committee and the Board of Directors,” pointing out that they had noted the needless incidents of killings of mostly young men by the military, state security agents and the Ebubeagu outfit, which, they allege, are at the behest of the State Governor.
They expressed dismay that these disheartening incidents were happening in a state that was before the advent of the Uzodimma administration considered “the safest, and most peaceful state in Nigeria and the Southeast in particular,” stressing that the most distressing aspect of the entire Awomama youths’ saga for Igbo at home and in the Diaspora was their characterization as bandits.
Insisting that the reported shutting down of the Ozisa 96.1 radio station “owned by the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri by the Imo State government in Concert with the National Broadcasting Corporation for reporting the massacre” is suggestive of a “pitiful attempt at coverup,” the WIC demanded that “the station should be reopened forthwith.”
