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Igbo youth groups under the umbrella of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to set free the incarcerated leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and drop all charges preferred against him.
Also, the body appealed to the president to apply all known administrative acumen to tackle insecurity in the country.
They also urged him to declare a state of emergency on security to enable farmers go back to their farms to cultivate food crops.
They believe that these measures would halt further rise in prices of goods and services, as a result of the petrol subsidy removal.
In a statement released in Owerri, the Imo State capital on Saturday, and signed by their President General, Goodluck Ibem; Secretary, Ndubuisi Uche; and Publicity Secretary, Okey Nwaoru, the youths re-appealed to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone the Senate presidency in the 10th Assembly to South East for ‘fairness, equity, and justice.’
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They resolved to embark on a two–million–man march on Monday, June 5, in solidarity with the Chief Whip / Senator representing Abia North district, Orji Uzor Kalu, to emerge as the 10th Senate President.
The statement read: ‘Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is seriously sick and needs urgent medical treatment by his doctors, who know his medical history, and know how to treat him for a better medical result. This is pertinent to help reduce youth restiveness and insecurity in the South East.
‘The Federal Government should declare a state of emergency on insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and other violent crimes in the nation.
‘The issue of insecurity is very important to be resolved urgently so that farmers can go back to farm to cultivate and harvest crops for human consumption. Hunger kills faster than bullets. Food security is important to sustain human existence.’
On Kalu, they said: ‘The leadership of APC should zone the position of the Senate President to South East and Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, the current Senate Chief Whip, is our consensus candidate. This will ensure fairness, equity, and justice.’
The coalition advised Tinubu to prevail on the petroleum marketers to stop further arbitrary increase in petrol pump prices, which is causing untold hardship on the people.
The body stressed: ‘The sudden removal of fuel subsidy has led to hyper-inflation and increase in fuel from N240 to N700 per litre and increase in other petroleum products, which has affected the prices of goods and services. Nigerians are currently facing untold hardship and we urge the President to put measures in place to stop the arbitrary increase in prices of petroleum products, hoarding, and other sharp practices by petroleum marketers’.
They suggested liberalisation of the sector to create enabling environment for more investors, build refineries, and encourage healthy competition, to enthrone a buoyant economy.
