A delegation of Enugu State youths yesterday honoured the invitation of the southeast governor's forum to be part of the all important deliberations on the way forward for the region following the realities of the EndSARS Protest.
The meeting, which had in attendance all ranking Igbo leaders, governors, ministers, lawmakers etc also enjoyed the presence of members of the Movement For the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra MASSOB.
At the end of the meeting, the communique reads:
That The entire Igbo leaders, including South East Governors, the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Pro-Biafra group, the political class, traditional and religious leaders of Igbo extraction, have demanded that the Igbos should be given the opportunity to be President of Nigeria in 2023.
That Igbo leaders, and Youths demand the disarming of killer herdsmen with AK-47 in the South East, who have occupied our forests and farmlands, destroying, kidnapping, and killing our women.
The Igbos however, pledged to live and work peacefully with their brothers and sisters and herdsmen, who have been living peacefully with them.
They also requested for the creation of one more State in the South East to balance the equation with other regions.
The Igbo also demanded that the South East Governors should determine locations, where the road blocks are necessary in the zone, especially in emergency situations with a view to addressing the complaints of their people about many road blocks and extortions in the South East.
There’s serious discrimination and marginalisation of South East Federal civil servants. We want the FG to look into this.
Each state must set up youth Rehabilitation and Empowerment fund to address youth unemployment in the South-East.
South East should set up a monitoring committee in each state made up of youths, Igbo leaders, traditional rulers, clergymen and Governors’ representatives and women, they will monitor compensation and empowerment fund in the region. This is to be set up by the Governors and the FG.
The Igbo youths and MASSOB note with sadness, that Igbo land is being discriminated against in the allocation of Federal infrastructural projects. We note specifically, that all the Federal roads in Igbo land are in a terrible State of disrepair. We therefore demand that the FG should immediately approve a substantial intervention fund to complete these road projects.
We also demand that substantial allocation be made for major infrastructural projects in the 2021 budget currently before the NASS.
That the president general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo should lead a delegation of South East youth representatives and selected Igbo leaders for the presidency, to make their demand known to Mr President.
The youth leaders commended these resolutions, especially the special attention to be tendered to the disturbing rate of unemployment in the region.
Among those who were present in the two days meeting and participated in the communique include: President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo; Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Dave Umahi and Okezie Ikpeazu of Enugu, Ebonyi and Abia sates, respectively. The Deputy Governors of Imo and Anambra states are also present.
Others are the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; National Assembly members such as Senators Ike Ekweremadu, Sam Egwu and Rochas Okorocha. Former Governor of Enugu state, Okweseileze Nwodo; Former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Chief Dubem Onyia, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.
Also in the meeting were traditional rulers such as the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe and religious leaders from the zone.
