The youth wing of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday sued for calm as Abia indigenes await the Supreme Court judgement on the State’s governorship election.
They made the appeal in a statement yesterday by the Ohanaeze Youth Council, OYC, signed by the National Secretary and the National Publicity Secretary, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike and Mazi Obinna Adibe, respectively.
The OYC said the alarm became necessary owing to the level of tension that awaits the forth coming Supreme Court judgement on who governs Abia State.
“We are concerned because as soon as the crisis erupts, it’s the youths that pays the aultimate price.
“We urge the youths in Abia State to be peaceful and law abiding as they await the judgement.
“However, the charter of equity in Abia should be respected as it is in other states in Igbo Land. It is the turn of Ukwa/Ngwa senatorial District which produced Gov Okezie Ikpeazu to take their own turn in the governance of Abia State.
“In Anambra, it’s the turn of Anambra North Senatorial District which produced Gov Willie Obiano, in Enugu it’s the turn of Enugu North senatorial District which produced Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, also in Ebonyi it’s the turn of Ebonyi south which produced Gov Dave Umeahi.
“As it is always said that Abia State is in the hands of God, we urge that Ukwa/Ngwa senatorial District which produced Gov Okezie Ikpeazu should be allowed to complete their own tenure like the other two districts”, the group said.
In another development, the OYC said it was miffed over an alleged plot by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to frame up the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu.
It could be recalled that Ekweremadu had accused the Presidency of desperately witch-hunting him with a view to roping him into a stage-managed corruption scandal in order to incarcerate him and eventually ruin his political career.
He had during the Senate plenary raised the alarm that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was planning to frame him up and raid his residences, during which the agency would claim recovery of some cash and arms.
However, the Igbo youths have cautioned the presidency against taking steps that would undermine the democratic process.
While describing the alleged plot as “a desperate and orchestrated plot to stifle the remaining voice of the opposition”, the OYC said Nigeria should not be turned into a theatre of oppression.
“We are greatly perturbed by this recent alarm by the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu. There is a famous idiom that ‘no smoke without fire.’ As such, his outcry is not to be dismissed with a wave of the hand.
“The entire youths in Igbo land are miffed with this ceaseless attempt by the presidency, through its different agencies to intimidate, coerce and cow down every known opposition voice, especially from Igbo land.
“First it was the alleged forgery of Senate Rules, but as the presidency lost that battle, the game plan has moved to hiding under the whistle-blowing policy in order to silence Ekweremadu completely.
“We rise today to say no to treating the South-East as a conquered territory. We equally condemn a situation wherein the government procures whistle, hands them over to some people and tells them when and where to blow.
“The desperate actors in this government should not forget that save for democratic dispositions of former President Goodluck Jonathan, they would not have come anywhere close to power. The then government never harassed them out of the political space. So, having climbed up through the ladder, the APC government should not destroy the ladder.
“Everybody must not join APC; doing so is not even in the best interest of the country as such a slide into a one-party state will wreck havoc on the Country.
“We are, therefore, calling on the presidency to leave Ekweremadu alone and allow him carry on with his mandate. We say enough to this mindless victimization; we say enough to this needless harassment.”
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