The Senator representing Anambra Central, Chief Victor Umeh has called on the federal government to end the marginalization of Ndigbo, saying it is responsible for the separatist agitation in the South East region.
The lawmaker said the prolonged detention of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is needless, stating that youths from other regions of the country who deserve to be in detention are walking the streets freely.
In an interview in Abuja, Sen. Umeh noted that the federal government has failed to treat Igbo youths same way their counterpart from Niger Delta, Northern region and other parts of the country were treated.
While stating that negotiations is the way out of the agitation in the South East, Sen. Umeh said when the Niger Delta militants were agitating for equal opportunity, negotiations were opened and some of them who were in the creeks with chains of bullet were placated, with some getting oil pipeline surveillance contract worth billions of naira.
According to Sen. Umeh, the insurgency in the northern part of the country is gradually going down as a result of mechanism being put in place to negotiate with Boko Haram elements, wondering why the federal government has not extended same opportunity to Igbo youths, with regards to the agitation led by the detained Nnamdi Kanu.
Sen. Umeh who was once arrested for allegedly sponsoring the activities of IPOB by the DSS and whisked to Abuja by road from Anambra said Nnamdi Kanu’s case in a pathetic one.
He said the proscription of the IPOB was an error, wondering why the federal government used a proscription order to douse an agitation instead of addressing reasons for the grievances of the people.
The lawmaker expressed hope that the Supreme Court will in December make a favourable pronouncement on the release of Nnamdi Kanu.
“So long as Nigeria does not give equal opportunities to everybody, it will be like the issue of cutting down the bamboo tree and another one will spring up.
“This thing has happened in Nigeria across various zones. The Niger Delta militants, there was a time they held Nigerian oil facilities hostage. Government had to go and discuss with them and put in place Amnesty Programme.
“People like Mujaheed Asari-Dokubo was was always on the creeks with chains of bullet around him, there was negotiation and the Niger Delta militancy went down”, he said.
“It is the approach the government needs to use and call the IPOB people on a roundtable and remove the plaque in their eyes and see the truth, that what is good for the goose is good for the gander”, he noted.
