The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide on Sunday called on senator-elect for Enugu North Senatorial zone, Okey Ezea, not to set the state ablaze with his comment on ‘do or die’.
While reminding him that it would be very dangerous to throw stones into a marketplace, as the victim cannot be known, the organisation advised him to withdraw that comment for the sake of peace in Enugu State.
Ezea was said to have told his constituents that the forthcoming governorship election would be a do or die affair.
But the president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, said Ezea’s alleged utterances should be condemned by all lovers of democracy.
He described as shocking the fact that Ezea who benefited from the goodwill and political tsunami led by Peter Obi could turn around to instigate violence in his first public utterance as a Senator-elect to call on the youths to go and engage in crisis.
He said, “We, the Ohanaeze youths, reject in its entirety the inciting statement credited to the Enugu North Senator-elect, Barr. Okey Ezea wherein he was describing the March 11 governorship election as a do or die affair.
“We find it so awkward that Ezea’s first public utterance as a Senator-elect is to call on the youths to go and engage in violence. This is totally unacceptable and should be resisted by every Enugu youth.
“The youths must say no to politicians who would want to use them to cause mayhem in Enugu State. We should not forget that it is very dangerous to throw stones into a marketplace, you never can tell who will be the victim.
“We warn Okey Ezea to stop instigating violence in Enugu State that governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has made peaceful since the inception of his administration.
“We call on him to immediately withdraw that divisive and inciting statement without further delay.
“This should also serve as a serious warning to other politicians who may want to toe this path. The youths will not take it lightly with such a person. We shall employ all legal means to bring such a person to justice.”
