Ogbakor Etche, ASA Patriotic Front Reject Any Affiliation With Wakirike National Congress
By Polycarp Nwaeke
Ogbakor Etche, through its President-General, Dr. Silas Anyanwu, has categorically stated that the Etche people have no affiliation whatsoever with the Wakirike National Congress. This clarification was issued in direct response to a circulated correspondence from the Wakirike National Congress that erroneously linked the Etche people to the group in Paragraph Four.
Dr. Silas Anyanwu emphasized that Ogbakor Etche remains the only recognized and legitimate socio-cultural organization representing the Etche Ethnic Nationality.
He stressed that any other claim or representation purporting to speak for or represent Etche is false, misleading, and should be disregarded by the public.
He further clarified that Etche shares no common boundaries, heritage, or communal affiliation with the Okrika (Wakirike) people.
Any attempt to associate Etche with the Wakirike National Congress undermines the distinct identity and autonomy of the Etche people.
The statement concluded by urging all parties to immediately cease making or circulating claims that link Etche to the Wakirike National Congress. It reaffirmed that the Etche people stand united, distinct, and resolute in safeguarding their unique identity and interests.
In a related development, the ASA Patriotic Front (also referred to as Igbu Agwuru ASA Patriotic Front) has strongly rejected assertions by the Wakirike National Congress that Etche Local Government Area forms part of the Wakirike Ethnic Nationality.
In a joint statement signed by its President, Ishmeal Nwekeand Secretary, Clement Wokouna, the group insisted that Etche Local Government Area is exclusively the ancestral homeland of the Etche people.
The statement declared:
“Etche is not, and has never been, a local government area of Okrika or any Wakirike ethnic group. The presence of some Okrika people living in Etche—just as Etche people reside in Okrika,
Port Harcourt, and other parts of the country—does not in any way translate to the existence of an Okrika or Wakirike community in Etche in any ethnic, cultural, or political sense.”
The ASA Patriotic Front therefore called on the Wakirike National Congress to:
Immediately withdraw the erroneous claim
Halt all further publications or dissemination of such assertions
The group warned that the continued spread of these claims could provoke unnecessary inter-ethnic tensions. While reiterating the Etche people’s unwavering commitment to peaceful coexistence and mutual respect with all neighboring groups, the ASA Patriotic Front affirmed that the Etche people will firmly resist any efforts to misrepresent, misappropriate, or encroach upon their distinct identity or territory.
