Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Despite the current tension in Rivers state due to the clash between members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and security agencies in Oyigbo Local Government area of the state last on Tuesday, Ohaneze Ndigbo,  a socio-political umbrella body all Igbos have vowed that they are holding their 2017 Igbo Day in the University of Port Harcourt.

But the President of Youth wing of Rivers Elders Council, Miller Samson, says it would resist attempt by the Ohaneze Ndigbo to host the 2017 Ohaneze Ndigbo Day in Port Harcourt on the scheduled day of Friday September 29, because the plan would heighten the already tensed political atmosphere in the state.

Samson said the choice Port Harcourt which is not one of the cities in the South East, to host the celebration of Igbo Day by the Ohaneze Ndigbo confirms the ambition of Igbo people to drag the people of Rivers State into their struggle for Biafra.

He admonished Security agencies to prevent the hosting of that event in Port Harcourt to avert possible security breach in the state.

According to Miller Samson:”The clash between Igbos under IPOB and the Police and is enough pointers to what it is to come if such event is hosted in capital city of Port Harcourt. We call the Vice Chancellor and management of the University of Port Harcourt not allow its facilities to be used for that event because it is likely to be resisted by the youths of the state.The hosting of Igbo Day here is to create a false impression of Igbo dominance in Rivers state.”

Reacting to this, the Secretary-General of Ohaneze Indigbo, Uche Okwukwu, a lawyer who is also a Rivers indigene from Elele in Ikwerre local government, vowed that the event otherwise known as “Igbo prayer day” must be held in Port Harcourt on the September 29 because all the relevant security agencies had been notified and the date approved.

Okwukwu  said the choice of Port Harcourt has not contravened any law and so the event must hold.

“We cannot be intimated by anybody. The Igbo man cannot be intimidated by anybody anywhere in the world. We have passed that stage. We have passed through the most difficult period in our history. For the avoidance of doubt, nobody can stop the Igbo day in Port Harcourt .The event will hold as scheduled. Igbos are not one those groups that can be intimdated. Let them come and arrest Igbos for holding a prayer session”.

At the time of filing this report, the management of UNIPORT had not reacted to the controversies surrounding the move to hold  the Igbo Day in the institution.