Shun armed struggle, embrace peace for development, Akpabio urges Igbo youth

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, speaking at a funeral in Enugu State, has issued a direct appeal to the Igbo people, particularly the youth, to abandon any thoughts of armed struggle against the Nigerian government. His message, delivered with a tone of paternalistic concern, emphasizes that true development and progress for the South East can only be achieved through peace and negotiation.

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For Ndigbo, l want to plead with you to continue to maintain the peace and watch the youth of today. They don’t understand politics. They don’t understand development. You can only have development in an area of peace.

Akpabio's address touches on historical grievances, referencing the post-war economic hardships faced by the Igbo, including the freezing of bank accounts and the disparity in reconstruction efforts compared to other regions. He positions the current administration under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as eager to address past injustices and marginalization, promising legislative action to grant the Igbo an additional state to ensure parity with other zones.

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A situation whereby you try to wrestle power and try to assert independence through armed struggle from the Federal Government will fail. The state power will always overwhelm you.

However, the Senate President also directly confronts the economic damage caused by the 'sit-at-home' protests, which he argues severely harms the entrepreneurial spirit for which the Igbo are known. He implores the elders to guide the youth away from 'wrong politics' and misleading advice that could lead to further disaffection and loss. The core of his message is a call for strategic, peaceful engagement to secure the Igbo's rightful place in Nigeria, underscoring that state power will inevitably overwhelm any attempt at forceful assertion of independence.

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We are prepared as a parliament to make the right laws, to tinker with the Act, to dot the i’s and cross the t’s in order for Ndigbo to have, at least, an additional state. So that they will also be equal to the other zones of the country.