Pro-Biafran agitation, a conviction – IYC

By LANRE ADESANYA

The President of Igbo Youth Congress (IYC) has urged the Federal Government to dialogue with the Pro-Biafra agitators.

Bright Ezeocha made this statement while addressing newsmen in Lagos,  he noted that Nigerians should stop all inciting comments, to help foster National unity and peace.

Ezeocha claimed that pro-Biafran agitations snowballed from the provocative speeches, by some Nigerians and the Federal Government’s disposition to Nigeria’s restructuring.

He noted that, “there is a need to implement the 2014 National conference, which endorsed fiscal autonomy and devolution of powers from the centre to the federating states to afford for peace and progress in Nigeria.

The Igbo youth leader added, “As regards the sharp division and ongoing agitations for the Biafra Republic, I feel strong that we really need to talk.

“In as much as we condemn the agitators, we must also condemn those who instigated the protests with their hate speeches and actions.

“In as much as I am not in support of what is going on in the South East, I think leaders should be called to order so that the unity of this nation will remain unnegotiable.

“There is a need for dialogue. No one will start protesting on the streets without a conviction that what he is doing is right, I think there is need to dialogue.

“We cannot use force to stop what is going on now, the only way we can stop what is going on now is dialogue and I am here advocating dialogue.”

He said that FG needed to know the grievances of the agitators,  saying ‘they are not mad people that would just wake up without a conviction’.

Ezeocha said that the genesis of the agitation could be traced to when the President Muhammadu Buhari told the whole world that he would not treat those who gave him 95 per cent votes equally with those who gave five.

According to him,  others  former leaders had also at different fora described Ndigbo as conquered and defeated people.

Ezeocha noted that the President’s failure to exclude people from South East in his kitchen cabinet appointment made the youths felt unwanted.

The youth leader added, ‘We are surprise that up till now, the President has not said anything about restructuring Nigeria and this is the only solution to bring peace.

“It is high time, we sat down in any form of conference to chat the way forward by restructure this country because this way this country is structured, it cannot stand the test of time.”

It could be recalled that there have been series of protests in the South East by pro-Biafra agitators.