The president of Ohanaeze-Ndigbo Worldwide, Senator John Mbata, has restated his commitment to support the Rivers State governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, and respect his office.
The former Senate President pro-tempore was recently elected president of the apex social-cultural organisation during its election in Enugu, amid massive opposition from Ikwerre kinsmen in Rivers State.
Mbata disclosed this yesterday when an Ijaw political pressure group, the Opobo Elder Statesmen-4-Sim, paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Port Harcourt.
The Ohanaeze-Ndigbo president dismissed the criticisms directed at him following his emergence, referring to them as a “cacophony of noises” from those lacking understanding.
Mbata, who reaffirmed his Igbo identity and the importance of unity among ethnic groups, said: “I see my responsibility as building bridges. We must connect our people to a much larger platform for development.
“Some people say they are from Benin. Their ancestry is Benin. And I say, ‘That’s fine. Let’s go there. We say that we have a relationship with the Igbos. I am not going to deny my Igbo identity. Anyhow, if you like, talk from now till tomorrow; I won’t deny my ancestry.
“We are related. Why are you shouting me down? I bet you these things will just naturally die down. I didn’t answer anybody because I see my responsibility as building bridges. People will, by and large, understand what we are doing.
“We must operate at the highest stage of this Nigerian project. We have to be able to access the powers that be. We must enjoy support from another perspective. Politics is played from Abuja and not here. It’s when they finish from Abuja that they come here. I won’t say everything today. A word, they say, is enough for the wise.”
Earlier in his speech, Chairman of Opobo Elder Statesmen-4-Sim Alabo Edwin Cockeye-Brown congratulated the Ohaneze-Ndigbo President on his electoral victory and expressed gratitude for his unwavering support for Fubara before, during, and after the governor’s election.
Cockeye-Brown said: “I recall particularly that during the impeachment attempt, you stood by the governor like a shining star. You supported him. You did not shake, neither did you shy away.”
He highlighted the long-standing relationship between the Mbata family and the Opobo people, tracing it back to his father, Elder Samuel Mbata, a revered gentleman and evangelist.
