The proposed #EndBadGovernance protest, scheduled for August 1st to 10th, has suffered a major setback in Igboland as the youth wing of the apex Igbo sociocultural organization, Ohanaeze Ndígbo Youth Wing, has unanimously decided to withdraw from the event.
In large numbers, the group’s leaders and members gathered in Enugu on Monday, where they declared, “Though we have every reason to protest long before now, we will not participate in this protest for obvious reasons.”
Announcing the resolutions of the meeting, the youth leader of Ohanaeze Ndígbo, Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu, expressed that Igbos have numerous valid reasons to protest even earlier.
“Our brothers remain in detention, including Nnamdi Kanu. There is the destruction of our markets and unfair treatment reflected in the fact that the Southeast has only 5 states while others have 6 and 7. Endemic unemployment and a lack of federal government infrastructure add to our grievances, and these are more than sufficient reasons for us to have taken to the streets a long time ago,” Mr. Okpalaezeukwu stated.
He expressed concern that the current call for protest could have dire consequences for the Igbos, stating, “We would lose a lot. Therefore, this protest is not in our good interest.”
He further noted that the gathering aimed to brainstorm ways to “protect Igboland. We need to devise a strategy to ensure our voices are heard and to end the exclusion of our people.”
“We’re here to ensure that no Igbo youth is caught in the crossfire and made a scapegoat of this protest.”
He added that rather than joining any protest, Igbo youths are making the following demands:
- Unconditional release of all Igbo youths wrongly detained, including Nnamdi Kanu.
- An appeal for an audience with the President to express their concerns and seek better ways to protect the interests of Igbo youths.
- Appointment of Igbo youths to the President’s cabinet.
- An immediate end to the destruction of properties owned by Igbos in Abuja and Lagos, with adequate compensation for those affected.
- The creation of an additional state for the Southeast region.
- A meeting convened by governors with Igbo youths to foster better cooperation and understanding of their programs for Igbo youth.
The Igbo youth leader maintained that while the hunger protest is within the constitutional rights of the people and justifiable given the country’s current state of affairs, they have chosen engagement, sensitization, and development of their youth to prevent the loss of lives and property that characterized the Endsars protest of 2020.
Okpalaezeukwu also commended President Tinubu for the establishment of the Southeast Development Commission (SEDC), which he stated “will heal the wounds of the civil war and ensure the full implementation of the 3Rs: Reconciliation, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction of the region.”
While urging the commission to prioritize the position of the youth, he further praised the President for pushing towards local government autonomy “which will bring development to the grassroots.”
The group is the latest to withdraw from the planned national protest, following announcements from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) that they would also not participate.
