The Ohanaeze Youths Council, Worldwide, OYC, on Wednesday lambasted the Arewa Youths for singling out the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu as one of the sponsors of Biafra agitation.
The Arewa Youths had in their letter to the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo mentioned Ekweremadu as one of those behind the recent Biafra agitation led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
However, reacting to the claims, OYC National President, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro urged the Arewa Youths to face issues instead of attacking Igbo leaders.
The statement read in full: “The Ohaneze Youth Council finds the attempt by the Arewa Youth Coalition to blackmail the Deputy Senate President-Senator Ike Ekweremadu, CFR,Ph.D by alleging in their letter to the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo that he is backing IPOB as a new phase in an old war of ensuring that he is removed from office, by all means, so as to ensure that Ndigbo have no representation, whatseoever in the present political dispensation.
“Firstly, we wish to state thatcontrary to the mischievous claim by the Arewa youths that Senator Ekweremadu visited the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, it was Kanu who visited Ekweremadu and the South East Senate Caucus to thank them for their role in his release. The visit was in the public domain. He equally paid a similar visit Thank You to Chief Nnia, the Ohaneze President General at his Enugu residence, recently. Kanu equally visited non –Igbos who vehemently clamoured for his release such as Femi Fani-Kayode.
“As such, singling out Senator Ekweremadu is an indication that these our Arewa brothers really intend harming Ndigbo, by tarnishing the good name of Ekweremadu, who they recognized in their letter as the most senior elected Igbo in this Government.
“Furthermore, Senator Ekweremadu and other members of the South East senate caucus deserve commendation by the Federal Government, for helping meet Nnamdi Kanu’s bail condition thereby diffusing a precarious security sitaution in the country, then. Noteworthy of mention is Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who personally volunteered to sign Kanu’s bail bond.
“We also note that the Arewa youths, their elite and north-controlled government and security agencies have not spoken up or taken decisive actions against the marauding Fulani herdsmen who plunder farms, rape, kill and maim innocent Nigerian citizens in their thousands including women and children and occupy their landsacross the Middle Belt and Southern Nigeria.
“Contrarily, Ekweremadu has been constant in preaching against any armed or violent engagement with the Nigerian State. Rather, he has been an unrepenttant apostle of Restructuring, so as to address what he refers to as Nigeria’s feeding bottle federalism, a euphemism for the country’s present self defeating and unworkable political structure. He has also consistently preached democratic and non-violent agitation for equity, fair treatment, and justice within the Nigerian state.
“Till date, the Arewa Youths are yet to name their brothers who are sponsoring Boko Haram. Even when a serving senator was charged to court by the DSS with alleged evidence of telephone conversations and other links between him and the terrorist group, these youths preferred to be silent.
“As Nigeria is currently passing through serious security and political challenges, we urge the Arewa Youths to kindly stick to issues rather than allow themselves to be used by politicians to dent the image of an innocent and peace loving man.
“Indeed, their clamour for a Referendum to determine the political future of Nigeria, in the face of the mounting agitation for Biafra is a welcome development. It is realistic and in line with international convention, as they rightly quoted. It is as well in conformity with present global trends in Spain (Catalonia) and UK (Scotland). We therefore reiterate our call on the Federal Government and the International Community not to ignore that since we are in agreement on that.”
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