A coalition of pressure and socio-political
groups in the South-East on the banner of the
Eastern Consultative Assembly, ECA, has
made the restructuring of the country, a
major condition for backing any candidate or
political party in the 2019 general elections.

Rising from a meeting in Enugu, the Enugu
State Capital, leaders of the groups, who
lamented the killings of Igbo people in many
parts of the country and refusal of the
Federal Government to punish the culprits,
said Nigeria cannot afford to continue with the unitary system of government. Held at the residence of Chief Mrs. Maria
Okwor, the meeting had in attendance
leaders of the Clergy, Christian Association,
CAN, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN,
town unions, students groups, women
associations, youth organizations and traders unions. Also present at the meeting were relatives
of Ndubisi Uzoma, who was beheaded by
Fulani herdsmen, last week, in Abuja and
Pastor Mike Agbahime, who decried the
release of Dauda and co who murdered his
74 year old wife, Bridget, in Kano last June. In a communique by Mrs. Maria Okwor and
secretary of ECA, Evang. Elliot Ugochukwu-
Uko, the ECA said ”the continued pretence
by the central government that the loss of
faith in unitary Nigeria as shown by various
agitations for secession can be resolved through force of arms is childish and actually
paints government as unserious and
insincere about the need to save Nigeria’s
future. Every adult in Nigeria, knows
Nigeria’s survival is hinged only on a
sincere restructuring of the polity along the lines of regional autonomy, anchored on true
fiscal federalism according to the 1963
constitution. Continuous delay in restructuring
Nigeria only deepens the acrimony, distrusts
and fears presently ruling the land.” The leaders also tasked the Sultan of Sokoto,
Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubabakar 111,
who is visiting Enugu, today, on the killings of
Igbo in the North and menace of Fulani
herdsmen. They said: ”As a new awareness slowly but
certainly emerges from the ashes of these
trying period, we warn our leaders without
followers that their 46 years old self-centred
agenda and mindless exploitation of the
masses’ helplessness has abruptly come to an end, as they have to key in to the
people’s demand of political restructuring
of Nigeria, if they want to truly lead the
people. ”No politician who is not in support of
restructuring Nigeria will receive votes in
Igbo land, from ward elections, through state
and National legislative elections to
governorship and presidential elections. Our
people will only vote for freedom from eternal slavery henceforth.” It condemned the release of Dauda Ahmed
and co, who were charged for the murder of
74 year old Bridget Agbahime in Kano on
June 2 2016, and urge both the Kano state
government and the Federal government to
re-arrest and retry the five murderers and bring to justice the killers of Mrs Agbahime
as earlier promised by President
Muhammadu Buhari. The ECA also condemned the non arrest and
prosecution of Fulani Herdsmen who
beheaded and carted away the head of citizen
Ndubisi Uzoma in Iddo, airport road Abuja
last week over incessant altercations with
Fulani herdsmen due to the destruction of his farms. It stated that the continuous refusal by
government to set up a Judicial commission
of enquiry as demanded by the Senate,
Amnesty International and others, over the
extra-judicial killings of Igbo youths
especially on February 9, 2016 at National High School Aba and St Edmonds Catholic
Church Nkpor on May 30, 2016 has earned
the secessionist groups more sympathy and
painted government as the villain. ”The current government strategy of ‘we
have enough ammunition to deal with you
people’ exemplified by military operations
named after all kinds of reptiles, is clearly
not working. Identifying and addressing the
issues that has led millions of young people to lose faith in Nigeria remains the only
solution to resolving these agitations.
Military solution only exacerbates it,” it
added.

www.vanguardngr.com/2016/12/2019-no-restructuring-no-vote-south-east-igbo-groups/

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