Igbo National Congress (INC) has opposed vehemently, the planned Operation Positive Identification, OPI, by the military as the National Assembly okays the exercise.
The group insisted that the exercise is needless as the country isn’t under siege nor war thus, no need for the exercise.
“The Igbo National Council (INC) therefore wishes to state that there is serious ulterior motive and hidden agenda behind the Operation Positive Identification (OPI) which many Nigerians are yet to know,” the statement signed by the President and Secretary reads in part.
The group also expressed worry over the operation at a time the security architecture of the country is dominated by a particular section of the country and called on the National Assembly to live up to its responsibility by stopping the exercise they described as; “draconian”.
The statement reads ;
Press Statement
Re: National Assembly Grants Army the Request to Commence Operation Positive Identification
We have read with disappointment and displeasure the recent news that the Nigeria National Assembly has granted the Nigerian Army the request to embark of Operation Positive Identification (OPI) which was previously rejected by Nigerians. From the information available to the Igbo National Council (INC), the Operation Positive Identification (OPI) will allow the Nigerian Army to stop any Nigerian citizen of their choice at any point to indiscriminately and expressly demand from the person, his/her Voters Card, National Identity Card, Driver’s License or International Passport as the only allowed means of identification.
Though neither the Army nor the Federal Government has come out clearly to inform Nigerians what will be the punishment for any person(s) not able to provide the above means of identifications during the Operation Positive Identification (OPI).
The Igbo National Council (INC) therefore wishes to state that there is serious ulterior motive and hidden agenda behind the Operation Positive Identification (OPI) which many Nigerians are yet to know..
The INC is very worried about the covert agenda of the Operation Positive Identification (OPI) more especially in this era of Nigeria where only one ethnic group is in total dominance and control of the leadership and command hierarchy of the security agencies in Nigeria.
INC wishes to state that Nigeria is not under siege or state of war. On the foregoing, we therefore call on the National Assembly to immediately rise up to its oversight functions by stopping the Nigerian Army from carrying out this draconian Operation Positive Identification (OPI) against Nigerians.
Signed
Chilos Godesnt
President INC Worldwide
8/12/2019
Zulu Ofoelue
Secretary General
