Igbo Leaders, Not IPOB, Responsible for Insecurity in S/East, Says Youth Group
4 min read
Edith CHUKU
Ohanaeze Youth Council OYC, has said Igbo leaders are to be blamed for the rising insecurity in Igboland and not the Biafra agitation by the Indigenous People of Biafra.
OYC National President, Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, claimed that it was the alleged marginalization of the Igbos and absence of robust development in Igboland that made the youths to engage in Biafra agitation.
He berated Igbo elders for supposedly been lackadaisical about the future of the youths, insisting that the alleged marginalization of the Igbos was majorly caused by Igbo leaders.
The OYC president accused the leaders of been responsible for the misruling and mismanagement of the resources that are meant for the Igbos by the federal government.
He stressed the need to first evaluate the remote cause of insecurity in the Southeast before the immediate cause. According to Igboayaka, “If there was an evidential robust developmental administration in Igboland, the youths wouldn’t engage in Biafra agitation. Biafran agitation couldn’t have been in existence if Ndigbo had reasonable selfless leaders.
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“The misrule of Igbo leaders and lackadaisical approach of Igbo Elders on the future of the youth resurrected Biafra agitation. This is a bitter truth.
“The 75% marginalization of Ndigbo is caused by the Igbo leaders while 25% is caused by the federal Government of Nigeria. But Igbo leaders are diverting the attention of Igbo youths/Pro-Biafrans to antagonize federal government, instead of holding Igbo leaders responsible for their misrule and mismanagement of common collective resources that are due for Ndigbo from state and federal Government. Another bitter truth.
“It’s totally out of place to blame the agitation of Biafra on what has befallen Ndi-Igbo. Those that are blaming IPOB should know that there was no Biafra agitation from 1970 to 1999, what did Igbo leaders do within that space of decades? There was neither Nnamdi Kanu from 1970 to 2012 nor ESN from 1970 to 2021, what did Igbo leaders do within this period of time?
“Where were the Southeastern governors when their Southwestern counterparts took decision and formed a regional security operatives? The delay of Southeastern governors to establish a regional security outfit gave birth to IPOB/ESN. Another bitter truth.”
He continued that, “This 2023 made it 24 years of uninterrupted democratic rule in Nigeria. What did Igbo governors, senators, federal representatives, house of assembly, ministers, etc do with this whole 24 years? Why are some unreasonable Igbo leaders find it easy to blame IPOB that’s barely nine years in existence? Meanwhile, there is no blame to Igbo Governors, Senators, Reps, House of Assembly, Ministers, Board members, Heads of many parastatals and other Igbo leaders that had occupied various political positions since the whooping 24 years?
“Like Ike Ekweremadu, who was beaten up by aggressive Igbo youths in Germany some time ago, was in Senate for twenty (20) years. What did many military state administrators of Igbo extraction do during military administration in Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Imo Ebonyi, Delta and Rivers to avert youths taking up Biafra struggle again?
“There was no attempt by Igbo leaders from 1970 to 2023 to make the new generation to forget Biafra genocide and not to bring back Biafra agitation. The misrule of Igbo leaders and lackadaisical approach of Igbo Elders on the future of the youth resurrected Biafra agitation. This is a bitter truth!”
Igboayaka claimed that, “unfortunately, in 1999 guymen cum street boys took over power in Igbo land till date. Many of the guymen became governors, senators, Rep, commissioners, ministers etc. That’s the undoing of Ndigbo in Nigeria’s political system.
When guymen took the leadership of Ala Igbo since 1999, there was a rapid decline in a prodigal quantity of Igbo value system. The quest for morality, integrity and nobility died. Money and ill-gotten fame became the shameless yardsticks for leadership. Rat became the Chief Security of dry fish in Igbo land.
“How can you blame IPOB when the likes of Orji Uzor Kalu, Maurice Ibekwe, Gov. Hope Uzodinma, Rochas Okorocha and other core street guy-boys of early 80’s and 90’s are leading Ala Igbo?
“The guymen political system in Ala Igbo has described politics as an avenue of quick money making and looting not a medium of service to our fatherland. This set of political guymen became richer more than the state they governed, and kept Igbo youth in a state of hopelessness, unemployment and perpetual poverty which turned the youths into so much nefarious criminal activities in Ala Igbo.”
He further advised that, “The Igbo elders and Southeastern governors make haste towards the immediate release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu before another rain of social disorder begins. I, therefore, call on both our happier, aggressive and restive Igbo youths to quit and shun any form of criminal act of arson, kidnapping, killing and robbery but to come out from wasteful hibernations and/or hiding places, surrender and engage in rebuilding Ala Igbo.
“I want to put Igbo youths on the know that there would be a worst generational injustice against all Ndigbo, if the ploy to rip off Peter Obi’s mandate succeeds. All Igbo youths should get ready for any iota of injustice done to legalise the stealing of Obi’s mandate by the ruling political coyotes and vultures in Nigeria through the judiciary must be a wonderful signpost of great opportunity of Igbo exit from the contraption called Nigeria.”
