By Tope Musowo
Lagos
President of Igbo Youth Congress (IYC), Mr Bright Ezeocha, has urged the federal government to dialogue with the pro-Biafra agitators.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos, Ezeocha said leaders should stop all inciting speeches against Ndigbo to foster National unity and peace.
He alleged that pro-Biafran agitators started due to provocative speeches by some Nigerians as well as and the federal government’s disposition to Nigeria’s restructuring.
According to him, there is a need to implement the 2014 National conference which endorsed fiscal autonomy and the devolution of powers from the centre to the federating states for the sake of peace and progress on Nigeria.
He said: “As regards the sharp division and ongoing agitations for the Biafra Republic, I feel strong that we really need to talk.
“In as much as we condemn the agitators, we must also condemn those who instigated the protests their hate speeches and actions. In as much as I am not in support of what is going on in the South-east, I think leaders should be called to order so that the unity of this nation will remain nonnegotiable.
“There is a need for dialogue. No one will start protesting on the streets without a conviction that what he is doing is right; I think there is need to dialogue.”
Ezeocha said the genesis of the agitation could be traced to when the President Muhammadu Buhari told the whole world that he would not treat those who gave him 95 per cent votes equally with those who gave five.
He said the agitators expected leaders to condemn such statements and others from former leaders who at different occasions describing Ndigbo as conquered and defeated.
“We are not only being treated like a conquered people, leaders are also telling us face to face, this is the genesis.”
