Youths of 17 Southern Nigeria states have called on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, to release without further delay the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The youths under the aegis of the Supreme Council of Southern Nigerian Youths Leaders, also call on the President Tinubu-led Federal Government to establish a Special National Ethnic Communities Peace and Development Commission, to address grievances arising from different ethnic nationalities of the country.

They also urged the Federal Government to seriously tackle the escalating issues of insecurity within Southern Nigeria headlong, saying that the region has had enough of insecurity and will no longer tolerate it.

According to the Southern Nigeria youths, the release of Mazi Kanu, has become very imperative to ensure distributive justice in the country.

?While we call for the immediate and unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the establishment of Special National Ethnic Communities Peace and Development Commission, and tackling the escalating issues of insecurity within Southern Nigeria headlong, we unanimously reiterate our commitment to the unity of Nigeria without compromise.?

The youths made the calls during their three-day Inaugural Strategic Meeting, held in Onitsha, Anambra State.

Addressing newsmen during the meeting President, of the Supreme Council of Southern Nigerian Youths Leaders, Mr. Arthur Obiora, who was surrounded by youths leaders other 17 States of Southern Nigeria, said that their meeting in Onitsha, was an intentional effort to build strong synergy and symbiotic relationship amongst youth leaders across the states of Southern Nigeria extraction.

The youths also disclosed that the meeting marked the beginning of a growing awareness and consciousness amongst Southern Nigerian youth, to begin to lend a strong and unequivocal voice to Nigeria project and actively advocate for policies aimed at bringing accelerated infrastructural and human capital development to Southern Nigeria.

According to them, ?We observe in the light of our extensive deliberations, retrospection and consultations with key stakeholders within Southern Nigeria, that the youth within our region have remained divided along ethnic, religious and party lines, and unless concerted effort is made to mitigate such divides, there won?t be meaningful region-based progress?

?The unity of Southern Nigeria youths has become paramount and imperative in order to speak with one voice to get rid of the penchant for government at all levels in Southern Nigeria to scheming the youths and their leaders out of the value equation.

?The youths constitute over sixty per cent of the entire population of Southern Nigeria, and also provide over seventy per cent workforce of the region, therefore, the government of President Tinubu should provide a rare opportunity for strategic integration of the youths into the scheme of things within the polity.

?We believe that for the Nigerian Federation to thrive politically, economically and otherwise, equity and fairness should be strictly encouraged. We also resolve to strategically partner with all political leaders within Southern Nigeria to foster regional cohesion.

?Southern Nigerian youths have resolved to continue to support the present administration of the Federal Government, led by His Excellency, President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, as constitutionally mandated.

?We call on the youth-based organisations within Southern Nigeria, to, as a matter of regional urgency, partner with the Supreme Council of Southern Nigerian Youths Leaders, in order to raise a strong voice for the region and the youth in particular.? (Saturday Vanguard)

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