A front line Igbo youth socio-cultural organization, Ohaneze Youth Council have lend their voice in the widespread call for a United Nations Supervised Referendum for Nigeria while describing the call as a democratic call and a way forward for the country.
Addressing the news men over the weekend in Owerri, State capital of Imo, the President of the Council Comrade Igboayaka O Igboayaka maintained that it’s within the tenet of democracy for a people to pursue for self-determination.
The dogged youth organization said it is in full support of any democractic move to dissect the numerous issues surrounding the makeup of Nigeria federation.
Going by the type of body legally qualified to call for a referendum as the legal basis for such a thorough course requires, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), MASSOB, Lower Niger Congress (LNC), Biafra National (BNC), Eastern People’s Congress (EPC), Movement of Biafrans in Nigeria (MOBIN) qualifies to call for a restructural referendum having housed a good number of views of the Igbo Nation in a struggle for a fair share in the Nigerian federation against the clear marginalization of the Igbo race evidenced in lopsided federal key appointments especially the service chiefs.
The call for United Nations to play a coordinating and supervisory role in the IPOB, The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Lower Niger Congress and other Pro-Biafran group’s proposed Referendum is a right step in the right direction geared towards ensuring fundamental human rights especially freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of association in The whole process.
Just like an independence referendum was held in Eritrea between 23 and 25 April 1993 with a result of 99.83% in favour, as well as a 98.5% turnout, the Indigenous People of Biafra call for a UN -supervised referendum will afford Nigerians the opportunity to air their views and bare their minds in the voting process to decide the future of the country as well as the citizenry.
Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) call on Nigerian authorities to heed to the democratic call which seems the last resolve to settling the dusts of secession, marginalization, self rule agitations, proscription and overheating the polity after the devasting Nigeria civil war proved abortive to ending the outcry of Ndigbo for a restructured Nigeria.
We also call on the citizenry especially Ndigbo to be civil, and exhibit a high sense of peace, in all they do as the struggle for a better- restructured referendum.
Meanwhile, the National President of Ohaneze Youth Council, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka has lamented on a furious publication made by one Mr. Okechukwu Isigusoro who is impersonating the office of the Presidency of OYC with the name, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide” Compelling Mazi Nnamdi Kanu to apologize to Nnia Nwodo, an issue that has already been settled by IPOB and Igbo political stakeholders led by Archbishop Emmanuel Chukwuma on 4th July 2020.
Therefore, it’s of great important to inform Ndigbo and general public at large that Mr. Okechukwu Isigusoro and cohort who has been making publication on newspapers are group of hungry prodigal sons working with Fulani and Yoruba political cabals to feed their stomach and malign the reasonable effort of Ohanaeze Youth Council(OYC) led Comrade Igboayaka O Igboayaka.
