We’re not happy with President – Igbo youths

The Ohanaeze Youth Wing, the youth arm of the
foremost socio-political body in Igboland,
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has said it is not happy with
President Goodluck Jonathan and all Igbo working
with him.
The youth wing, made up of all youth organisations
in the South-East, accused Jonathan of failing to
fulfil numerous promises he made to the Igbo in
the build up to the 2011 presidential election,
which they said prompted Ndigbo to give him
about 98 per cent of their votes in the polls.
The OYW made its feelings known in a
communiqué it issued after an emergency meeting
on the 2015 elections in Enugu.
The communiqué, a copy of which was made
available to our correspondent on Tuesday in
Enugu, was captioned, “A stitch in time saves
nine.”
In the communiqué, jointly signed by Mazi Arthur
Obiora and Obinna Adibe, deputy national president
and national publicity secretary respectively, the
Ohanaeze youths warned that it would seek an
“alternative” if Jonathan did not address
outstanding issues in his relationship with the
Igbo.
It expressed anger at the President’s failure to
keep his promise of revamping the coal industry in
Enugu as well as constructing the Second Niger
Bridge through a public/private partnership
arrangement.
The Igbo youths noted that Jonathan had no
intention of completing the bridge by 2019
“assuming he is re-elected this year” since the
completion period has been extended by 48
months (four years).
The communiqué partly read, “The Ohanaeze
Ndigbo Youth Wing (Ohanaeze Youth Council)
wishes to express her displeasure with President
Goodluck Jonathan; the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim,
who was nominated by Ohanaeze into the office
and all Igbo working with Mr. President on the
shabby and insincere way he has handled issues
affecting Ndigbo.
“In 2011, it was our structures that were mobilised
to ensure that he scored 98 per cent of South-East
votes and also got substantial votes in other parts
of Nigeria.
“Yet, our genuine demands, including the
revitalisation of the Enugu Colliery/ construction of
a coal fired power plant, construction of the
Azumini seaport, acceleration of the dredging/
expansion of the Port Harcourt and Calabar
seaports, the exploration of the oil deposits of the
Orashi and Anambra River Basins, etc have been
ignored.
“After having audience with youths from other
parts of the country who did less for him, Mr.
President snubbed Igbo youths despite several
efforts to reach him, preferring rather to hobnob
with some Igbo elders, most of who may never
appear at the polling station on the D-Day!
“The issue of ravaging unemployment which has
hung most dangerously on Igbo youths has not
been addressed till date, yet hundreds of billions
of naira has been spent to empower Ijaw youths
through the amnesty programme and other Federal
Government jobs and initiatives.
“What have Igbo youths done wrong to be so
neglected?”
It added, “The Akanu Ibiam International airport,
Enugu, the only significant project the President
executed in the South-East after over five years is
only international in name, not in practice since it
is yet to get to international standards in terms of
runway length and other critical infrastructure.
“Hence, major international airlines in the world
have shunned it.
“The Second Niger Bridge has become enmeshed
in controversy – it is the only Federal Government
bridge that will have a toll gate, whereas President
Obasanjo kindly abolished toll gates about 10
years ago.
“So far, only N10bn, i.e. 7.6 per cent of the total
contract sum of N130bn, has been purportedly
released.
“Also, the cost of the bridge has increased by over
300 per cent while the completion date has been
shifted from 18 months to 48 months (four years)!
“This implies that he does not even intend
completing the bridge by 2019, when he will be
leaving office, assuming he is re-elected this
year.”
The body also said it was angered by the Federal
Government’s refusal to include Igbo youths in the
amnesty programme.