The apex youth wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has said South-East leaders and elders do not have the right to decide for them on secessionist agitation.
This is following a meeting in Enugu on Friday, June 11, 2021, between leaders in the zone and a delegation from the Presidency where the Igbo leaders pledged to support and allegiance to one united and fair Nigeria.
Displeased by the actions of their leaders, the National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka while speaking with newsmen in Enugu on Monday, after a leadership retreat of the Council, rejected some unpleasant decisions by the elders and leaders of the zone.
In a statement signed by Mr. Chukwuemeka Chimerue, Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to OYC National President, Igboayaka stated that “the so-called security meeting which was attended by the Minister of Defense, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi(rtd.), Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, Service chiefs, Governors of the five Southeastern states, religious, traditional and other stakeholders of Igbo extraction was like a mad man with cream of paper in his hand and administering medicine to a blind man.”
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He said it was regrettable that the Defense Minister, Bashir Magashi, who led the presidential delegation, stated that “one of the issues(discussed at the meeting) is the farmers/herders conflict, which he said would “be given the necessary accord to stop this menace all over the country, from the perspective of national interest.”
Igboayaka noted that it was rather unfortunate that the defense minister, Magashi, could define the slaughtering of Igbos by dreaded killer Fulani herdsmen as a mere clash cum conflict, saying “he could have made just his statement by choosing the real phrase rather than describing the deliberate killings of over 500 Igbos in Enugu, Ebonyi, Delta, Anambra, Imo and Abia since 2015 as a mere conflict.”
“As the so-called meeting ended on Friday 11th June 2021, on Saturday 12th June which was the next day, killer Fulani herdsmen invaded the compound of one Elder Innocent Ameh, the eldest man in Umu Oyijeregwu clan, Ohom Unadu at around 8pm, and was seriously butchered with 6 other persons.
“The attack took place at his Umu Oyijeregwu residence, Unadu in Igboeze-South LGA, Enugu State. Unadu shares boundaries with Alor Agu, Umuonu Enugu Ezike, Itchi, all in Enugu State and also Akpanya in Kogi State where the Fulani herders are in their large numbers.
“The invaded aforementioned community in Igboeze-South LGA of the state recorded 8 injured persons while other people within the locality ran for their safety,” Igboayaka recounted.
He added that “It’s obvious that a man who prepares a poison for a man, can’t be asked to seek for remedy or anti-dote for the poison. Indeed the Nigerian government led by President Muhammadu Buhari doesn’t have any plan to stop the killing of Igbos by dreaded Fulani herdsmen, therefore, it’s laughable for the Fulani-led Nigerian government security chiefs to meet in the Southeast to discuss insecurity.
“It’s also very laughable that the Nigerian government gathered Southeast governors that have lost credibility and acceptability from Ndigbo to discuss a sensitive issue such as security. No governor in Igbo land can weigh 1% security trust in Igbo land – the reality and simple truth on ground. No reasonable person can give rat a dry fish to secure. South-east governors are like ‘Nkita tara okpukpu anyawara ya na olu’. A dog that eats the bone hanging on its neck.”
Commenting on the Biafra agitation in the region, the Igbo youth leader cautioned that: “It should be clear to Gov. David Umahi and other four governors of the Southeast that the issue of agitation for secession cannot be discussed without the Igbo youths/agitators. They lack the mandate to discuss such matter because the Southeast governors represents only the interest of 3% of Ndigbo.
“Like Gov. Umahi stated, ‘Those who dish out hate speeches from our region, threat of violence or secession do not speak for South-East. I repeat, we the South-East people are not for secession, we don’t support it; we don’t call for it’.
In reaction to Umahi’s statement, Igboayaka noted that “such unguided utterances is what is fueling agitations and crises by separatist groups in Igbo land. It’s obvious that the Southeast governors’ speeches over the plight of Igbo youths is not salted, thereby proving the point that Southeast is barren of leaders and representatives.
“The insecurity challenges in the Southeast shouldn’t be an elites’ project otherwise it may increase to large proportions, as the gap between the Igbo youths and elders increases, crimes and insecurity also increases in Igbo land. The Southeast governors must climb down from their elite mentality of approaching the huge security challenges confronting us in Igbo land, or stay in a state of confusion while insecurity increases in Igbo land.
“Also, according to Gov. Umahi, ‘We are committed to one united Nigeria; we have always mentioned this; all our leaders are committed to this and that is why we read it everywhere, a united Nigeria of fairness, equity and equality of freedom and this we have further expressed.’
“Gov. Umahi and the Southeast governors should stop deceiving themselves and the Nigerian Government of a non-existent united Nigeria. These men have lost the control of Igbo youths. How can only 3% of Igbo politicians be committed to Nigerian unity over 97% that are committed to ensure they separate from Nigeria? How can these men keep deceiving the Nigeria Government that Igbo youths will agree to remain in Nigeria without functional seaports, at Azumini Blue River, Obuaku River, Ulasi Oseakwa/Oguta Osemoto River, Ibaka River, Ozisa Afikpo River, a functional International Airport at Enugu and Imo states, a functional modern railway across major cities in Igbo land and a functional industrial gas pipelines in Igbo land?
“Have the Southeast governors fail to realize a common mathematical equation that 3% cannot subdue 97%, therefore, it’s deceptive and crafty for Gov. Umahi to say that they have agreed on one united Nigeria?”
Comrade Igboayaka further cautioned Gov. Umahi to refrain from acts of deception, adding that “one united Nigeria is not in the hands of the South-East governors to affirm, but what’s in their hands is to deliver dividends of good governance, infrastructure, security, job creation and render accountability to Ndigbo.”
Finally, the Council while expressing shock over the meeting, recalled that similar meeting was held around February 2020 without any positive outcome or implementation of any item agreed in the meeting which was published to deceive Ndigbo, saying: “We hereby call upon the Southeast governors to publish or outline any item(project) that was executed after their meeting with service chiefs in 2020 within 72 hours. It’s obvious that Southeast governors are involved in economic sabotage for their selfish political interests, that’s why none of them have taken it upon themselves to pursue the project to install a functional seaport, modern railway, standard international Cargo Airport, functional industrial gas pipeline and other infrastructures in Igbo land.
