Igbo youths under the aegis of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Wing, has announced its withdrawal from the planned nationwide protests scheduled for August 1-10, 2024.
The decision was made after an emergency convention of Igbo youth leaders and stakeholders in Enugu on Monday.
According to the acting National President, Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, the South East region has valid reasons to protest, including economic hardship, youth unemployment, and poor representation in governance. However, he said the group has chosen to engage in constructive dialogue with the Federal Government and South East governors to address the region’s unique challenges.
Okpalaezeukwu explained that the decision to withdraw from the protests was made to avoid a repeat of the destruction and loss of lives experienced during the EndSARS protests in 2020.
He stressed the need for Igbo youths to be appointed into political positions and for the government to address the region’s peculiar challenges.
He said, “We need one more state to balance the South East with other zones. We have many of our young people, including Nnamdi Kanu who are held across different detention centres unjustly.
“But we don’t want a repeat of the destruction of our investments across the country because we will become the targets anywhere the protest holds.”
“We will engage in meaningful dialogue to ensure that our voice is heard, moving forward and that equity, fairness and a sense of belonging is guaranteed.”
He regretted that the protest had not started yet, adding, “Igbo businessmen and their businesses both in Abuja, Lagos, and other major cities are being threatened. We don’t want the killing and destruction of our people’s property across the country.
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“We demand that Igbo youths be appointed into political positions in the country to be part and parcel of the government.
“We hope that since the government has ended the civil war in the South East, with continued constructive dialogue all the things that are agitating the South Easterners would be addressed.”
