Daniel Kanu
Founder Igbo Youth Movement (IYM), Evangelist Elliot Ugochukwu-Uko has submitted that unless leadership addresses the fundamental truth about the country the present agitation by different groups and zones may not subside.
The activist also opined that playing the ostrich and expecting an end to present day confrontations, as well as heating up the polity, would be huge deception, arguing that “leadership knows the truth but has refused to act and address critical issues”.
Ugochukwu-Uko, who is also Secretary, Eastern Consultative Assembly (ECA) and Deputy Secretary, Igbo leaders of Thought (ILT), in a statement he signed and made available to Sunday Sun expressed displeasure that the truth has been in the public domain for long, but that men in power chose to ignore it.
He said that the truth and solution to the restiveness would be adequately addressed by “engaging the agitators, collating their grievances and presenting same to the central government”.
“At a time like this, I believe it is very important to remind us all, that the truth has been in the public domain for long just that men in power chose to ignore the truth” he noted.
He said that the truth and solution to the restiveness would be adequately addressed by “engaging the agitators, collating their grievances and presenting same to the central government”.
Also, he noted explicitly that the 1999 constitution, cannot unite, sustain, let alone grow Nigeria.
Part of the statement reads “Building synergy with other progressive regions in the country and strongly presenting the truth: That the 1999 unitary constitution, just cannot unite, sustain, let alone grow Nigeria. ( gladly, something the Southern Governors Forum woke up to recently).
“There’s no magic, power, or strategy that will stop the agitation for secession, if the 1999 constitution remains the ground norm, states still dependent on monthly federal allocation and unemployment continues to grow in leaps and bounds.
“The suffocating unitary structure, hinders economic growth, stifling development.
“That the murderous herdsmen, who have so much terrorized and traumatised the nation and dislocated citizens all over the land, as if they are above the law, must be reined in, effectively contained, and dealt with.
“We will be deceiving ourselves when we arrogantly refuse to enquire to find out the root cause of the grievances driving the agitation, just because we are afraid that addressing those grievances will uplift the much-resented zone.
“Ignoring and shunning the agitators, only drives them crazy, deepening their anger and frustrations. We have ignored them for over two decades and that strategy hasn’t solved the problem.
“demanding a list of their grievances will go a long way to resolving the issue.
“There’s no magic, power, or strategy that will stop the agitation for secession, if the 1999 constitution remains the ground norm, when states still dependent on monthly federal allocation, and unemployment continues to grow in leaps and bounds.
“The suffocating unitary structure hinders economic growth, stifling development.
“It is utter falsehood to assume that Nigerians will allow the vicious herdsmen to occupy and take over their ancestral lands, and everybody will be applauding them.
“Nepotism, sectionalism, insecurity, and maladministration only blew the lid off the boiling cauldron, granting the agitators more confidence.
“The current strategy will not resolve the problem. We are only addressing the symptoms and ignoring the real cause of the disease.
“When will we address the cause of the problem from the roots? When?
“I have screamed from the rooftops and the mountain top for years, that the problem should be addressed from the roots. I have been blackmailed, persecuted, attacked monitored, and targeted.