John Nwodo, president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo
worldwide, says it appears that the federal government
is “helpless” on the quit notice given to the Igbo in the
north by Arewa youth groups.

He urged the government to take decisive action on
the matter.

Nwodo while speaking on Sunrise Daily, a Channels TV
programme on Monday, said despite the order issued
by Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police, and that
of Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna, to arrest those
making such statements, nothing has been done.

The president-general said the “hate” that the
northern youths have “has reduced the authorities to
being ineffective in the circumstance.”

While appealing to the federal government to charge of
the situation, he said the declaration by the youth was
“treasonable” as it has threatened the integrity of the
country.

“There is nothing more threatening of the national
integrity than this, this is treasonable, they have
declared a new state that excludes the south-east
from the state of Nigeria. They have gone to describe
measures to actualise this. Everything in that speech
shows a concluded crime,” Nwodo said.

“You have declared an intention and you have
consumated it, you have begun to take inventory of
property. No state is achieved by property acquisition
or a mere declaration. An eviction notice doesn’t
amount to achievement of statehood and this is what
the young men have done.

“And it does appear that the federal government is
helpless. When the federal executive council met we
did not hear anything about it. The inspector-general
of police called all commissioners of police and issued
an order, that order is in breach because it is being
challenged by the young men. The governor of Kaduna
state has issued an arrest order, it hasn’t been carried
out.

“It does appear that there is a building of hate in the
north amongst the youths, that has reduced the
authorities to being ineffective in the circumstance and
I will like the federal government to rise up to the
occasion to show that it is in charge.

“We need to build on some principles of rule of law but
there is dissatisfaction that this government is not
working, not just this government in power, but the
structure is not working.”

He opined that restructuring the country would
address the issue and make all regions financially
independent.

“It worked when we had it, I grew up at the time we
had regional governments in this country. Every area
of Nigeria was financially independent. In the north,
there were groundnut pyramids, Ahmadu Bello
university was built,” Nwodo said.

“In the south-west, it was cocoa, the first television
station in black Africa was built, the first stadium if
Nigeria was built, free education at all levels were
launched. In the south-east, Nsukka university was
built, presidential hotel was built in Port Harcourt and
Enugu and robust industrial policy that produced the
first few industries were built.

“I don’t see how you leave a workable system for an
unworkable system. I don’t see a country any country
called a federation in the world that runs a unitary
system of government.”

TheCable