By CHARLES IWUOHA

Members of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Igbo youths on Friday placed a demand for a Nigeria President of Southeast extraction in 2023.

The demand was made before Southeast governors and other political and religious leaders from the zone as they continue seeking ways to placate the youths.

In a communiqué read to the Igbo leaders, the MASSOB and other Igbo youths demanded Igbo presidency as well as cessation of all forms of attack from armed herdsmen.

The communique was read before the governors by MASSOB leader, Comrade Uchenna Madu, with representatives of Igbo youths concurring.

Their demands include:

“The South East should be given the opportunity to be president of Nigeria in 2023.

“Disarming of killer herdsmen with AK 47 in the South East, who have occupied our forest and farmlands, destroying, kidnapping, and killing our women while we pledge to live and work peacefully with our brothers and sisters and herdsmen, who have been living peacefully with us.

“Creation of one more State in the South East to balance the equation with other regions.

“The South East Governors to determine locations, where road blocks are necessary in the South East, especially in emergency situations with a view to addressing the complaints of our people about many road blocks and extortions in the South East.

“There’s serious discrimination and marginalisation of South East Federal civil servants. We want the FG to look into this.

“Each state must set up youth Rehabilitation and empowerment fund to address youth unemployment in the South East.

“South East should set up monitoring committee in each state made up of youths, Igbo leaders, traditional rulers, clergymen and Governors representatives and women to monitor compensation and empowerment fund in the South to be set up by Governors and the FG.

“The Igbo youths and MASSOB notes with sadness, that Igbo land is being discriminated against in the allocation of Federal infrastructural projects. We note specifically, that all the Federal roads in Igbo land are in a terrible State of disrepair. We therefore demand that the FG should immediately approve a substantial intervention fund to complete these road projects.

“We also demand that substantial allocation be made for major infrastructural projects in the 2021 budget currently before the NASS.

“That the president General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo should lead a delegation of South East youth representatives and selected Igbo leaders to the presidency, to make their demand known to Mr President.”

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