Reports that a newly formed Igbo socio-political
group, the Igbo Ekunie Initiative, has emerged. They have advised
President Muhammadu Buhari to engage self determination groups in
Nigeria in a fruitful dialogue that would ultimately address their
grievances and permanently end agitations in the country.
The
group, which had existed for about two years in the Diaspora, apparently
came out in the open to fill the gap created by the proscribed
Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
President of the group, Mazi
Tochukwu Ezeoke, who spoke with reporters in Awka, however observed that
violence and marching on the streets would not achieve any objective,
insisting that dialogue remained the best approach.
In his words;
We,
the Igbo Ekunie Initiative, submit that time has come for a fundamental
restructuring of the Nigerian state to a structure and system that
provides optimal governance that meets the needs of the populace and
allows each region develop at their pace.
“We note that the
fundamentals of restructuring suffer no conflict as all proponents
virtually agree that more control/autonomy in all facets should be given
to the states and regions as the case may be.”
“Government
systems should also be modified and streamlined for more effective
governance such that there should be rotation of power for purposes of
nation building. “Efforts should also be made to eliminate corruption
and security enhanced so that development and welfare of the citizenry
should be the clear and unambiguous goal of government at all levels.”
He
described as an irony the federal government’s proscription of IPOB,
while, according to him, the same government was treating the killer
Fulani herdsmen with kids glove, despite the pains they were inflicting
on the people.
He said further: “2019 general election is around
the corner and it is time for government to take decision. Herdsmen
cannot be killing our people and somebody would be looking the other
way, but had to proscribe IPOB that is innocuous. It is unacceptable.
“We
call for immediate withdrawal of all charges against IPOB members and
the unconditional release of all their detained members. “In a
democratic and heterogeneous state, dialogue should be championed above
repression as that is the only way to achieve lasting peace.
“It
is unfortunate that President Buhari’s government is returning Nigeria
to full blown marginalization and vexed politics of exclusion. Ezeoke
said it was obvious that the status quo was unsustainable; adding that
attempting to retain it was at best, suicidal.