TheCable

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.”