By Banji Ayoola
All Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities have scheduled a crucial meeting for Abuja on the worsening security challenges confronting the nation.
This was disclosed on Friday in an interview with The Radiance by the Yoruba Youth Leader and National Chairman of the Coalition of Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders of Nigeria, Chief Eric Oluwole.
His words: “For now, Nigeria’s security is so bad in view of the fact that bandits, armed herdsmen, kidnappers and armed robbers among other criminals are on the rampage all over the country.
“Based on these, all ethnic nationalities youth leaders in the country are proposing to hold an emergency meeting soon to proffer immediate and long-term solutions to these problems which are affecting our future as well as that of our country and all our peoples.”
He said that the date is yet to be decided, but that the main topic on the agenda is security.
He added that the meeting would also dialogue on the perceived poverty and hunger across the land among “a lot of other issues that government has to dialogue with Nigerian youths for their future.”
It would be attended by all ethnic nationalities youth leaders in the country numbering at least 250.
To Oluwole, the perceived injustice and imbalance characterising the nation’s federal system gave birth to, and fueled the separatist agitations being championed by eminent scholar Prof Banji Akintoye, detained leader of the proscribed Independent People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Yoruba Nation agitator, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, who is being held in Benin Republic.
He said: “We are not condemning the people who are agitating for Oodua Republic or Biafra Nation.
“It is the situation of the country which warranted their agitations. If the country is well organised, there won’t be need for agitations. And that is why all the ethnic nationalities in this country are coming together to the conference table to jointly discuss, find and propose a new way forward so that we can have a new Nigeria where justice will reign.”
He stressed that security agencies should operate within the laws and as such respect the Constitution of the country in their operations. He frowned at the continued detention of associates of Igboho despite a court order for their release.
He said that the ethnic nationalities are praying that both Kanu and Igboho would soon be released “soonest” from detention.
On agitation for restructuring of Nigeria into a true and balanced federation, which is being championed by Afenifere, he said that the ethnic nationalities are also working on the calls.
Oluwole said: “Our father the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo canvassed it (restructuring). Immediately after independence, he saw the vision. Afenifere has been campaigning for it as the basis for a new Nigeria.
“The country has to be restructured. The imposed dictatorial military Constitution we are now operating is old and obsolete. It has to go and be replaced with a truly federal Constitution made by the people of this country.
“That unitary Constitution is like putting old wine in new bottle. The country has to be restructured and governed with a new Constitution. The whole system has to be restructured with states granted autonomy over running their own affairs.
