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Youth leaders in the south-east have aligned themselves with the position of political leaders in the zone on the need to embrace restructuring as an urgent solution to the growing inequalities and marginalisation in the country.
Arising from a meeting on Friday in Enugu, leaders representing different youth groups including National Youth Council of Nigeria, Nigerian Young Professional Forum as well as Ohanaeze Youth Wing World-Wide, drawn from the five southeastern states, expressed worry over political bickering, hate speeches as well as call for secession by the Indigenous People of Biafra, and the quit notice issued by Arewa youths asking the Igbos to leave the Northern region.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and delivered by the Chairman, South East Nigeria Young Professional Forum, Dr Chimaobi Desmond Anyaso, the youth leaders passed a vote of confidence on the Deputy Senate President, South-East Governors and Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership led by Chief Nnia Nwodo.
They adopted all resolutions of the south-east political leaders in their last meeting held on Sunday, July 2, 2017 but stressed the need to constitute a delegation to discuss with “our brother, Nnamdi Kanu and members of IPOB on the need to embrace harmony and align with the position of the leadership of Igbo land”.
The communiqué reads: “Whereas young leaders of the south-east, informed and worried by the political bickering, hate speeches, the call for secession, the quit notice to Igbos by Arewa Youths, the need for restructuring and the urgent need to take steps to stem the spate or tide of the drift to political oblivion occasioned by these issues, the leaders of the various Igbo youth groups, in today’s meeting held on Friday, July 7, 2017, at The Hotel resort resolved as follows.”
“That we are in total approval of all the steps taken so far by the political leaders of the south-east viz: distinguished Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Southeast governors and Ohaeneze Ndigbo leadership.”
“That our people who can no longer bear the pain of marginalisation and exclusion of Ndigbo from the running of Nigeria hence the agitation for secession.”
“That, there is need to constitute a delegation to discuss with our brother, Nnamdi Kanu and members of IPOB on the need to embrace harmony and align with the position of the leadership of Igbo land.”
“That, we condemn vehemently the unguided utterances coming from the Arewa Youths, especially the quit notice given to Igbos to vacate the north come October 1, and other speeches capable of throwing Nigeria into a very serious crisis.”
“That we adopt all the resolutions of the south-east political leaders in their last meeting held on Sunday, July 2, 2017”.
“That federal government of Nigeria must be extremely proactive in ensuring that the lives and property of all Igbos living anywhere are safe and protected after October 1, 2017 as the loss of a single life or property owing to the threat of Arewa youths would leave us no option than to abandon this peaceful approach or our belief in the Nigeria experiment”.
The youth leaders warned that “if the government of Nigeria wants the loyal and patriotic youth of the south –east desirous of amicably ending all forms of disunity, it must charge all relevant security agencies to make sure that no single Igbo life is lost anywhere in the north on account of religion or ethnicity”.
It noted that urgent steps be taken by the federal government to restructure Nigeria and make all component units have a feeling that justice, equity and fairness is served and enjoined all South-East youths to conduct themselves properly in a manner that inspires peace, wisdom, responsibility and respect for law and other.
