Chief Raymond Dokpesi, the chairman emeritus of DAAR Communication, has been criticised for his statements about the Igbo presidency.
Dokpesi, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, said in a statement on Monday that Nigerians are truly worried that a president of Igbo descent would allow the country’s disintegration due to what he called Nnamdi Kanu, the founder of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)overwhelming ,’s influence in the region.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the premier Igbo socio-cultural organization, said it is terrible and unfortunate that Dokpesi, who is 70 years old, could try to bring down any ethnic group in the country.
The national publicity secretary of Ohanaeze, Chief Alex Ogbonna, added that “It is curious that such a respectable individual as Dokpesi could go out to talk from left, right, to centre – talking from all directions.”
He noted that while Ohanaeze Ndigbo is not in support of Kanu’s style of agitation – secession – the group is fully aware of the marginalization and injustice which Ndigbo have suffered in Nigeria.
“Truth is that where IPOB, Kanu or MASSOB is talking about secession, we Ohanaeze and the rest of our leaders are talking about the restructuring of the country. That’s our point of departure because we believe that one united Nigeria where equity, fairness, peace and justice reign will accommodate and benefit all of us,” he said
In response to the comment, Ken Robinson, the National Publicity Secretary of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), said it’s difficult to understand why Dokpesi would reach such a “outrageous conclusion” and encouraged him to abstain from making such statements.
“If that statement was truly made by Dokpesi, and he’s not being misquoted, then it’s unfortunate and most disappointing. It’s difficult to fathom why he would draw such an outrageous conclusion. We would urge the respected High Chief and media guru to refrain from making such reckless statements,” he stated.
