Learn From Sheikh Gumi, Ohanaeze Youths Tell Igbo Leaders

The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Monday, said Igbo youths have lost confidence and trust in their political leaders for allegedly failing to protect them the way northern leaders protect their youths.

Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, the national president of OYC, stated this in Enugu while reacting to the declaration by southeast governors/stakeholders that they were not in support of the agitation for self-determination by some Igbo groups.

Recall that the southeast governors/stakeholders, during their meeting on 19th June, 2021, condemned any activities of groups in the region calling for secession from Nigeria.

According to them, “We condemn in totality, the activities of violent secessionist groups in southeast and elsewhere. We firmly proclaim that we do not support them. They do not speak for southeast.

“The impression that southeast leaders are silent over some of our youth agitators for secession is not correct.”

Comrade Igboayaka claimed the inaction of the stakeholders against injustices in the region birthed many groups, such as MASSOB, IPOB, MOBIN, Eastern People’s Congress, Biafra National Council, Zonist, Biafra Independent Movement, and Biafra Nation League.

In his words, “It’s obvious that southeast governors and stakeholders have lost sense of reality on ground as regards the quest for self-determination by many pro-Biafra groups.

“Let the world understand and know the truth that southeast governors and stakeholders are the remote cause of any perceived violence by self-determination groups in Igbo land.

“If anyone moves around in Igbo communities and have one-on-one interaction with the youths, you will discover that they are in pains, agony, perjury, coupled with unemployment; in fact, the youths are thirsty for violence; they want die in what they believe.

“Therefore, the item seven in the communiqué of southeast governors and stakeholders is what increases this hunger for violence among the youths in Igbo land. Igbo youths have lost confidence and trust on the political actors of Igbo extraction.

“This loss of confidence and trust has resulted in loss of control of Igbo political actors on the youth. What is, therefore, left for any genuine Igbo political actor is not to make unguided or careless statements about self-determination quest, but to explore a means to regain the confidence of the youths on their side.

“It is unfortunate that at the era of Dim Ikemba Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, Dr. M. I Okpara and Akanu Ibiam when patriotic Igbo men walked on the surface of mother earth, such open, careless, betrayal, cowardice and unsalted statement cannot come from leaders whose sole responsibility is to shield their people through speeches and actions.”

Igboayaka therefore advised the stakeholders to emulate Sheikh Gumi on the ways he had been protecting northern youths.

He said, “The way Gumi approaches bandits in the north, I advise the southeast governors and stakeholders to gather courage and go on one month mentorship to the Islamic cleric, Sheik Abubakar Gumi, and learn how elder statesmen of a nationality should shield their youths and speaks for them rather than betraying them.

“Even at the height of criminal acts by bandits in the north, Sheikh Gumi stood in the gap between the bandits and their Nigeria government. Gov. El-Rufai openly shielded Boko haram members irrespective of their height of terrorism against the Nigerian government.

“But Igbo youths simply on the quest for self-determination due to series of injustice, marginalization and deliberate extra-judicial killings by the Nigerian security agents since 1970, are being rejected by those they could call their fathers.”