Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
In what they christine a prolonged stay of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu in detention, the youth wing of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has tasked the new President General of the body, Chief John Azuta-Mbata, to work for his immediate release.
The call was made by the National Publicity Secretary of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing, Chika Adiele, who described the move as a critical step towards uniting the Igbo nation.
His words: “One of the most important tasks before him now is to bring all segments of Igbo leadership together on the same page. The youths expect him to take the issue of Nnamdi Kanu’s release seriously.
“That would be a monumental achievement for him. If he can champion the release of our brother Nnamdi Kanu, who was illegally renditioned to Nigeria and has been detained for so long, it would be a huge win not just for him, but for all of us.”
Beyond Kanu’s release, Adiele expressed optimism in Azuta-Mbata’s ability to address the challenges faced by Igbo youths, including unemployment, lack of empowerment and insecurity.
He also hinted on the urgent need to engage young people constructively to address the root causes of unrest in the South East.
“Igbo youths have suffered so much under our leaders. There are lack of jobs, no incentives, no empowerment. Today, we see pockets of insecurity across the South East, and when you look closely, you’ll find that most of the non-state actors causing this insecurity are young people.”
He called on the new leader to engage the youth in meaningful dialogue and find sustainable solutions to their challenges.
“We need him to sit down with the youths, have an honest conversation, and figure out how to pull us out of the bushes and bring us back to the centre. This is how we can salvage Alaigbo. It’s a big part of what we expect from him,” Adiele said.