From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Igbo apex social-cultural group, Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), has called on those presented with national honours to return them, describing the award as an embarrassment to Nigerians.
President General of the Igbo group, Goodluck Ibem, in a statement further pointed out that the Federal Government should not have given out the awards following the numerous challenges it is facing.
He said: “This amount to dancing on the graves of Nigerians who died hungry and killed by Boko Haram and other terrorists. No nation celebrates when its people are killed mercilessly. It baffles us that in the midst of all these anomalies, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari would be giving a national award to Nigerians.
“Without mincing words, this awards is an insult and a national embarrassment to dead Nigerians killed by Fulani Jihadists and terrorists, it is an embarrassment to those who are now ‘refugees’ in their own country and an insult to those are going to bed hungry under the very watch of this present administration.
“How can Nigerians be killed and kidnapped on daily basis and somebody is celebrating national award honours? Is there any honour in kidnapping that have taken over the country? Is there any honour in surrendering our hard-earned independence and sovereignty to terrorists?
“This administration is truly shameless for organising a national award in the midst of all thes anomalies. This awards is not a ‘national honours awards’ but a ‘national disgraceful awards.’
“We call on Nigerians who have any integrity left in them to return those awards until when things are done properly before they can consider accepting any national award,” Ibem said.