The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has dissociated itself from a call demanding the resignation of Enugu State Governor, Barr. Peter Mbah, over recent herdsmen attacks in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area.
This follows a statement published by SaharaReporters, in which a man identified as Mazi David Ani, who claimed to be the Enugu State Chairman of Ohanaeze Youths, asked the governor to resign over alleged failure to protect residents from armed herdsmen.
However, in a statement on Tuesday, the National President of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, dismissed Ani as an impostor, saying the group has no such individual in any official capacity.
“Mazi David Ani is not known to Ohanaeze at any level,” Okwu stated. “We sympathise with the people of Isi-Uzo over the unfortunate attacks, but asking the governor to resign is totally misplaced.”
Okwu defended Governor Mbah, saying he has made strong efforts to support security agencies in the state. He noted that while governors are called Chief Security Officers, they have no real control over federal security commands.
“Security chiefs take orders from Abuja, not from state governors. It is unfair to blame Mbah for lapses that are beyond his direct control,” he said.
He also described the resignation demand as a deliberate attempt by mischief-makers to create confusion and politicise a sensitive issue.
Furthermore, Okwu called for a full investigation into reports that a helicopter allegedly dropped off the attackers who terrorised the Isi-Uzo community.
The herdsmen violence in Isi-Uzo has triggered public outrage and renewed calls for improved protection of rural communities across the South East.
