Self-determination inevitable without restructuring ―Ohanaeze

The President General of Ndigbo apex body, the Ohanaeze, Chief John Nnia Nwodo on Monday declared that that the continued agitation of Igbo youths across the country was a by-product of persistent injustice and marginalization arising from bad leadership and unjust structure of the Nation’s polity.

Chief Nwodo who spoke as guest at the Channels Television talk show programme, the Sunrise stated that the various restiveness across the country was an indication of an unworkable political system that should be revisited.

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The Ohanaeze boss who bemoaned the rising hate against Ndigbo in the country, rolled out list of some Igbo citizens murdered and whose goods worth billions of Naira were looted across the country without any reasonable response from government.

He said that the current structure of the country was not tuned for development and wondered why the 2014 National Conference was not being revisited.

When asked why Ohanaeze did not oppose the sit-at-home order called by the Biafra agitators, Chief Nwodo said it couldn’t have since they were not by sitting at home, violating any known Nigeria law in mourning their over 3m kith and kins who died during the war with half of them dying of hunger and starvation.

On the position of Ohanaeze on the Biafra agitation, Chief Nwodo said that “the apex body has not endorsed the secession struggle but cannot stop the agitators more so when the issues that compelled them remain unattended to”.

The Ohanaeze leader said that what Ndigbo wanted “is a Nigeria of equal ownership not where some see the country as their empire and the rest as a conquered territory”.

He described as unfortunate the conspicuous absence of President Muhammadu Buhari “at this time that calls for astute leadership for the country” and advised the Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo to rise up to the challenge and make some consultations on how to move this country forward.

Ohanaeze boss lamented that nothing could be more evident of bad leadership in the country than that after the lawless statement from Arewa youths that was greeted with wide condemnation from reasonable minds in the North, Middle belt, South West and South South, no arrest has so far been made, rather the people were daring the authorities.

Chief Nwodo described as worrisome the fact that after such grave utterances from the Northern youths, that touched on national security, the Federal government was yet to act, the Inspector General who called his Commissioners across the county to read a riot act, was yet to make any arrest.

On the conflicting statements from Ohanaeze Ndigbo on the issue, Chief Nwodo wondered why the media continued to publish utterances from other voices when he as President General with his cabinet had spoken on an issue.