OHANAEZE NDIGBO URGES SOUTHEAST GOVERNORS TO PROVIDE FREE BUSES FOR IGBOS THAT ARE TRAVELING TO THE EAST THIS CHRISTMAS PERIOD.(PHOTO).

 Ohanaeze Ndigbo urges Southeast governors to provide free buses for Igbos that are traveling to the East this Christmas period.

The pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has called on the five Eastern Governors to provide buses to Igbos residents in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, among others to cushion the effect of transporting themselves home this Christmas.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo disclosed this in a press statement signed by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, Deputy President General and Chief Chinenyeze Ohia, National Spokesman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.

According to Isiguzoro, the gestures by the governors would not only address the impact of the prevailing exorbitant costs of transportation, but would also provide security to the Igbo while returning for the Christmas celebrations.

They also charged the Southeast governors to beef up security around border communities in Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Imo as a way of safeguarding lives and preventing potential terrorist incursions, especially from fleeing Northern bandits.

The statement reads in part, “As we approach this festive season, we face an unrelenting economic downturn that has resulted in unprecedented hikes in transportation fares. This unfortunate circumstance has rendered numerous intending Igbos in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, and other regions in Northern Nigeria unable to return home to the Southeast to reunite with their families.

"Even those Igbos capable of affording the exorbitant travel fees are filled with trepidation, driven by the pervasive concerns surrounding unresolved security issues throughout the nation, particularly in the Southeast. It is, therefore, the responsibility – indeed, the moral obligation – of the Southeast Governors to respond with urgency and empathy to these pressing challenges confronting our people"

"Ohanaeze Ndigbo implores the Southeast Governors to take immediate action by facilitating the return of our people stranded in various parts of the country. We call for the provision of at least 250 free buses (50 buses from each Southeast state) to transport our citizens back to their homes this festive season. Such an initiative would serve as a gesture of goodwill and solidarity, reinforcing the bond of our Igbo heritage and culture during this joyous yet challenging period.”

“Let it be known that any Governor failing to take appropriate measures—be it the provision of free transportation or the fortification of security—will face the ire of the Ndigbo people. In contrast, those who heed this call for action shall be recognised and celebrated for their dedication to the welfare of Ndigbo.”