There is evidently a huge gap existing between the youths of the Igbo region and the leadership. The Igbo youths are angry and have lost faith in the average leader of the east, whether it is of the religious, traditional or political leadership. They consider themselves to have been used, raped and dumped by their leaders. There is maximum suspicion of betrayal, stealing and callousness against the people of the region by their leaders. The leaders deliberately created a wide margin that has existed between it and its followers because of their greed and selfish interest. They have impoverished the people, denied them of development and decent living. They have planted poverty, sickness and decay all over the region. The people are hungry, angry, depressed and frustrated because of the neglect and wickedness of its leaders upon them. The leaders because ofavaricealienated themselves from the peoples they claim to be leading thereby establishing the restiveness and unsecured society we live in today.
The bad leadership and governance in the South East has destroyed its thriving economy, brought underdevelopment, suffering, illiteracy, growing unemployment and created army of idle and angry youths. The region is speedily becoming an underdog among other regions of Nigeria. While other zones appear to be making efforts in achieving greatness in socio-economic and human development, the South East is sinking its talent, potentials and destroying its economy. Building armed gang of cult group androbbers.
The Igbo leaders must rise to provide leadership to save its zone from total collapse. It is pure lack of leadership and organization that has brought the zone the pains it is going through. Our leaders, whether elected, religious or traditional really need to come together and do critical thinking and act solving the crises we are in. It was never like this in Igbo land, the South East was noted for its peace and peoples’ commitment to business and self and community advancement. How we arrived here baffles every analytical soul!
The rising cases of destruction, killings, brigandage, backwardness in commerce and industry, and insecurity has shattered the ever dogged, indefatigable and never say die of the Igbo inachieving greatness. Igbo leaders must rise to ask questions and proffer solutions in this whole confusion. They cannot pretend, decide or be afraid to come out of their shell in contributing to solving the problem they are part of. The Igbo leaders must eschew every selfish interest, call their children for a meeting, listen to them and negotiate on possibilities of what to present to Federal Government for the amicable resolution of the youth restiveness. No amount of bullet or killings, violence will break or make Nigeria, it is still dialogue and negotiationthat will surely resolve all issues.
I am appalled that Igbo traditional and religious leaders have not till date met and taken decision on moving into the communities to preach peace, ask their youths to avoid violence, destruction and killings. The Igbo land is the only home we have hence, it should be protected and defended by every Igbo blood. The elders of Igbo land owe the generations yet unborn that sacrifice of stopping the destruction of lives and property. The Igbo leaders must stand up to correct the bad and evil leadership that has characterized the land since 1999. Abuja alone is not responsible for the destruction in Igbo land, the five governors and indeed all political office holders since 1999 at the federal level failed to contribute meaningfully to the development of the South East region.
The youths also have a role to play in advancing their cause by amplifying their voices. They should desist from engaging in violence and mere political hooliganism. It is time for them to be properly organized to take their destiny into their hands. Violence is not an option and cannot be. There are approaches at resolving every knotty politicalissues. The youths can peacefully organize and make demands from state and federal governments without necessarily throwing a stone. The youths can establish or join an existing political party of their choice to promote their cause. The youths can pick a candidate who will do their biddings and support such person to emerge. We must learn to play politics, think deep and strategize in advancing our cause. That is what is applicable in a political environment not violence or secession.
Why do Nigeria’s government structure transform the living standard of our leaders while, the country and its peoples suffer serious setback? Since 1999 for instance, every Nigerian who served in government as president, governor, senator, honourable, special aides, etc., are very comfortable today with financial and material favoursbut the peoples, states andcountry they superintend over suffers lack of social and economic infrastructures. The peoples they govern groan in abject poverty, suffer untoldhardship. That in itself is wickedness.
The federal government must realize that they need every part of the country for Nigeria to remain an indivisible and indissoluble country. The federal government over the years failed to hold the county together, develop Nigeria, repair its broken socio-economic infrastructures and addressthe perceived injustices across the country.The country’s managers failed to create an enabling environment to take care of the growing unemployment among its teeming populace.The Federal Government of Nigeria must wake up to the realities and stop the shakara oloje governance. The country from all indications is sick, terribly sick and the government must move speedily to heal and reclaim back the country.The various components of the country have genuine complaints, the country is simply not working, not conducive for decent living and business investment. Nigeria currently has degenerated, it is in a descent into the abyss. No responsible government watches its country men and women live like beasts, go hungry ordie of curable sicknesses and diseases. No reasonable government allows a mass of its people to be illiterates nor, go homeless. Nigeria is so rich that every citizen should have a minimum good living standard.
There are complaints from every region, very germane complaints. Complaints of injustice, marginalization, insecurity and bad governance, unemployment, nepotism, lack of infrastructures and lopsided appointments. There is no peace and unity anywhere in Nigeria now and in future unless these issues are quickly well addressed. A patriotic and nationalistic government will open every channel of reconciliation to re-unify the country.
Nigerian leaders over the years mismanaged the resources of the country hence created the poverty, agitations, and other troubles that has enveloped the country today. They must admit their mistakes. The citizens of this country deserve an apology and compensation. And, the most adequate compensation will be a sincere transformation of the country that touches positively on the already impoverished masses. God bless Nigeria!
