The Igbo leaders in FCT namely, Vice Chairman Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon Lawrence Onuchukwu, the Chairman Igbo Traditional Council, His Royal Highness, Dr Uche Egenti, the Youth Leader Ohaneze Worldwide, Arthur Obiora and the FCT Ohaneze President General Edozie Nwodozi, last week after the degenerated EndSARS crisis leading to loss of lives and property across the country, in a press conference in Abuja take turns to appeal for calm with an assurance that government is on top of the situation. EMEKA NZE reports .
AMAC Vice chairman- Hon Lawrence Onuchukwu
Basically, we are here as leaders of the Igbo people in FCT, My humble self as the Vice Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and coincidentally, the political leader of ndigbo in FCT. We are here to address the press on burning national issues. We are addressing the press as a follow-up to the press release by our national leader and President General Ohanaeze, Nnia Nwodo. We are doing this basically because every politics is local. We have seen the fears of our people in FCT. We are here to condemn in totality the wanton killing of our young men and women in Lagos state two days ago. It’s not of us. Its not of Nigeria and our prayer is that God should console the families of deceased. We are also here to calm the nerves of our people down. Everybody should remain calm knowing full well that government is on top of the situation. No government anywhere in the world would want her people killed. I want to call my brothers and sisters of Igbo extraction in FCT to remain calm, to continue to pray to God to heal our land Nigeria . Crisis is part of human race, no country in the world is free of crisis but what is important is that we will rely on God, pray to God to heal what has happened to Nigeria. I’m therefore calling my people in fct-the traders, the artisans, the conductor, the barrow pusher, every igbo man and woman anywhere you find yourself in FCT- i’m talking to you as your representative in government, you voted me into power to represent you. These are our leaders here, we just emerged from an emergency meeting and we have resolved that we will do everything within our power to protect our people but our people must remain calm, disregard all the rumours from social media because for me, social media is one of the deceivers of the people. Disregard the rumours, we are on top of the situation, we will continue to persuade you our people to remain calm. We should never look for anybody’s trouble. Nigeria must continue to be one united country.
Ohaneze President General, FCT, Edozien Nwodozi
We are here for three things, to commiserate with those who lost their loved ones in the massacre of young persons across the length and breadth of the country, those who fell to the bullets of overzealous security personnel. We are here also to state that the issue on ground, the #EndSARS struggle is not an ethnic or religious issue. It’s an issue that cuts across every facet of the Nigerian society. Whatever has happened, we are not blaming it on ethnic bigotry or jingoism. Thirdly we call on our people here in the FCT to toe the line of peace, to exist in harmony with both our host and other co-tenants in the Abuja framework. As leaders, we call on our people to be calm, no matter the situation, the government and the leadership are doing their best to bring things under control.
Ohanaeze Youth Leader, worldwide, Arthur Obiora
Directly, this issue affects the youth , that’s why I flew from Enugu where we have our national headquarters, to this place, to diffuse the tension of what is happening generally in the country. The youth have their point, the youth in so many ways have made their request known to the government and we discover that government
is doing what they feel they can do, just that they should step up their actions so that our people, the youth directly will know that the government is there for them. That’s why we are here to condole the families of our people that have lost their lives, property even in FCT and everywhere in the country. Because we are members of Nigeria Youth Council, the umbrella body of the youth in this country. Any youth that is affected by this protest, directly or indirectly is our concern. That’s why we are here to commiserate with them and to give them hope that things will get better. They should be calm because with dialogue we can get what we want. SARS has been proscribed, other things will still follow. What the youth have done is what they needed to do. I’m pleading with the Igbo youth and the FCT youth generally to be calm and listen to the voice of their leaders. Very soon we will ascertain whatever loss incured in this protest. I know the hoodlums might have done one or two things but I know government has a listening ear. Once we get to them all these things will be resolved.
FCT Chairman, Igbo Traditional Council, Ezeudo of Abuja, Dr Uche Egenti
It’s saddening that for a couple of days now we’ve had so much crises in the landscape of Nigeria. The youths have spoken, we have heard them, their agitations are very germane, very correct, yet it is said that youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow but it’s important we hear them when they speak.
They have spoken, Nigeria has heard, Africa has heard, the world has heard and seen. It’s only incumbent on operators of the system to be able to address issues which they raised. And I’m sure that government will certainly address the issues because it has to do with the survival of Nigeria as a nation. Be that as it it may, I want to enjoin my people, especially, in Abuja to embrace peace, embrace dialogue, live with one another, be our brothers keepers, leave a space in our heart for love. Let true love lead, let reconciliation heal the land. I strongly believe that together, we will lift Nigeria up again. I strongly believe that this country called Nigeria, no region, no section can survive without the other. The mere fact that we are about a 200 million people, that’s the strength we have over other nations of the world. I want to plead as I always plead that let every man, every woman be occupied with that which will bring peace in Nigeria. Let those who formulate policies, formulate those policies that will bring about peace and even development , that will bring about justice and equity and let those who implement, implement so. That’s the only way we can afford a just and egalitarian society, Nigeria belongs to everybody, the youth are the leaders. Let’s not forget that our today is on our heads and tomorrow lies in our hands. So we should be able to know that tomorrow holds a lot for us as a people. War will not help anybody, Crisis will rather compound things for us. Let’s not be ethnic or nepotic about anything we are doing. Let’s realise that violence has no identity, that conversation has started and conversation, no one knows where or how well it will end. The sooner we understand this the better. And hear me, it is not the man who starts a race that finishes the race. let’s not allow revolution to consume us. Let everybody come together let’s dialogue. If we don’t dialogue, we will continue to misunderstand one another. We are all worried, we all concerned and we want a better Nigeria for you and for me.
