Igbo youths under the umbrella of South East Youths for Equity Alliance (SEYEA), has carpeted Arewa youth Consultative Forum, over opposition to the demand for release of the leader of the Indigeneous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The Northern group spoke after a meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and Igbo elders led by Chief Mbazulike Amaechi.
President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, Yerima Shettima, in an interview with DAILY POST, had claimed that allowing Kanu to go unpunished would be harmful to Nigeria and the Federal Government.
However, SEYEA, in a statement by its President, Comrade Ekeh Ifeanyi Chimezie and made available to DAILY POST on Monday, regretted that Arewa youth have turned themselves as tool of Nigeria’s disintegration, as they have always seen themselves and the north as Nigerians while others are not through their actions and inactions.
The southeast group accused the Arewa youths of promoting disunity, bigotry, ethnic and religious differences and always quick to kick against anything that will promote peace and unity.
SEYEA also noted that it lied in the institutionalization of peace and unity in Nigeria through the genuine practice of tolerance, justice, equity and fairness, reiterating her earlier stance and calling for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu.
The youth organization threw its support behind the visit of Igbo elders and their honest request from President Muhammadu Buhari which is a sure pathway to ease the tension in the country.
According to SEYEA, “release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a means to National healing and anyone who is against it, should be seen as an enemy of the country”.
The southeast socio-cultural organization, further stated that the demand of the Igbo elders will not in anyway jeopardize the Clarion call for 2023 Nigeria President of Southeast extraction as claimed by the Arewa youths, rather it would go along way to tell Nigerians that they can do way with selfish and regional interests of the nation by allowing equity and fairness to prevail through a collective support and election of a southeasterner as President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor
Parts of SEYEA’s statement read, “For us South East Youths for Equity Alliance an integral part of Nigeria Youths for Equity Initiative, we are poised for a united Nigeria where peace, equity, justice and fairness reigns. In that, we have held ourselves from provocations and that is the reason we have refused to react to some of these unhealthy and provocative positions of our brothers in the North under the auspices of Arewa Youths.
“We are not surprised seeing them condemn what has received a wide National acceptance and commendations of the request of the Igbo Greats (a delegation of eminent Igbo leaders) from President Muhammadu Buhari and the President’s assurance to them when the former visited the latter in Aso Rock”.
