Traditional rulers in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State have advocated for an extensive dialogue between the agitators in the South East and the Federal Government, News About Nigeria reports.
They made this call in a statement jointly signed by the Chairman of the Council, HRM Eze Innocent Nwaigwe, and the Secretary, HRH Eze. C. Emelike, among other officials, on Tuesday.
They noted that engaging the South East agitators in a genuine dialogue and working towards addressing their genuine demands will benefit everyone.
In the statement titled “The Deliberate Humiliation of Ndigbo”, the royal fathers, under the aegis of the Umuahia North Council of Traditional Rulers, expressed fury that since about 25 years ago, when the renewed wave of agitation for Biafra restoration began, the Federal Government had never considered it wise to engage the agitators in dialogue; instead, it had continued to use force against them.
They accused the Federal Government of using brute force against agitators from the Southeast for negotiating with agitators from other geographical zones and said genuine agitation had never been quelled anywhere by coercion.
They also demanded the immediate release of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, a Prince in the Council.
The statement reads in part, “For 25 years since the agitation began in the South East, no government has reached out to the agitators to genuinely engage them in a dialogue and find out why they are pissed off with Nigeria as presently constituted.
“Rather, brute force has been regularly visited on them to crush them by fire by force. From Bridge Head, Onitsha, to Aba High School compound, to St Edmund Catholic Church at Nkpor, to Emene, Obigbo PH, etc. Thousands were mowed down in cold blood.
“In all these, the agitation has not been crushed since 1999. Not on one occasion has the authorities demanded a genuine tet a tet, to identify the grievances of the agitators and the reason for their agitation. Never.
“Same Government sent Ibe Kachikwu to the Niger Delta to engage the Niger Delta Avengers in a dialogue that brought peace. The same government dispatched Godswill Akpabio to the creeks for a peace meeting with Tompolo, leading to peaceful reconciliation and resolution.
“The reason Igbo agitators and activists for justice and equity must be crushed forcefully befuddles fair-minded citizens. If after 25 years, 1999 till date, isn’t enough time for the realisation that only sincerely engaging the agitators in a dialogue will bring about resolution and closure, we wonder if another 25 years suffices.
“Those blocking direct engagement and dialogue with the agitators for whatever reasons are the ones actually responsible for the crisis in the land.
“Those manipulating the system in order to use the agitators to achieve certain ends should be warned that karma will soon catch up with them. They pretend they want MNK released while they are simultaneously working under the table, blocking his release.
“This is a warning that their game is no longer secret. They should repent and retrace their steps before nemeses catch up with them.”
