AKPABIO APPEAL TO SOUTH -EAST YOUTHS TO EMBRACE DIALOGUE OVER ARMED CONFLICT:

AKPABIO APPEAL TO SOUTH -EAST YOUTHS TO EMBRACE DIALOGUE OVER ARMED CONFLICT:

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has called on the people of the South-East, particularly the youth, to reject armed struggle against the Nigerian government and embrace peace as the path to development and justice.

Speaking at the weekend during the burial of former OMPADEC Administrative Secretary, Sir Albert Ikechukwu Nnamani, in Ikem, Enugu State, Akpabio stressed that meaningful progress can only happen in a peaceful environment.

“For Ndigbo, I plead with you to maintain peace and guide your youth properly. They don’t understand politics or development,” he said. “You cannot wrestle power or seek independence through armed struggle against the Federal Government — state power will always overwhelm you.”

Akpabio also renewed the promise to create an additional state for the South-East to bring it on par with other regions. “We in parliament are ready to make the right laws and adjust the Act to ensure Ndigbo get this. This is our commitment,” he stated.

He commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for efforts to address historical marginalization, noting that Ndigbo have been fairly represented in recent appointments. “Everything you want should be negotiated. Through peaceful means, we shall secure our rightful place in Nigeria — and I want this to happen in your lifetime,” he added.

The Senate President expressed concern over the economic impact of the “sit-at-home” order in the South-East, saying it has crippled businesses in places like Onitsha. He recalled how Ndigbo rebuilt after the Civil War despite having their accounts frozen and receiving only three pounds for millions.

Akpabio pointed out that while the Federal Government’s “Three Rs” — Reconciliation, Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction — were applied after the war, reconstruction was largely missing in the South-South and South-East where the conflict was fought. “They only tried reconciliation and rehabilitation. Reconstruction was missing,” he said.

He acknowledged that some leaders at the event were uneasy with his remarks but insisted it was time for Nigeria to do justice to Ndigbo. “May we not lose our youth to wrong politics or bad advice. Justice shall be done to Ndigbo in our lifetime, in Jesus’ name,” he prayed.

Akpabio also paid tribute to the late Sir Nnamani, saying he served with dignity at OMPADEC and laid the foundation for Niger Delta development. “Before his time, people said promises to the Niger Delta were always ‘in the pipeline’. Eventually, our people started breaking the pipelines to force action. But those days are now behind us,” he said.