New President of Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), Igboayaka. O. Igboayaka, yesterday said that lack of a functional seaport in Igboland had continued to shrink the economic potential of the zone. Igboayaka spoke in Owerri, a day after he and other executives emerged as new leadership of OYC in Enugu state.

ome of the other executives included Oluchi Chinweuba as Vice-President, Secretary; Nwanaga Gift, Publicity Secretary; Chinonso Alozie Financial Secretary; Igweali Robinson among others.

During his acceptance speech, Igboayaka listed five challenges being the clog in the wheel of the progress of the Igbo states as seaport and railway system, saying this would serve as a boost to manufacturing industries in Igboland as well as an international airport for the zone.

He said: “Today, we dedicate this victory to thousands of Igbo youths who died in Sahara Desert in attempt to travel to Europe due to leadership failure that led to poor economy in Igbo land.

“We dedicate this victory to great scientist/ nuclear scientist Igbos could have had if Department of Chemical Engineering UNN had been functional in over 40 years, since it was closed down by Federal government of Nigeria.

“We dedicate this victory to the suffering Igbo sons and daughters at Lagos Apapa Seaport facing humiliation and intimidation due to no functional seaport in Igboland. “At this juncture, we appreciate all delegates and state executive of Ohanaeze Youth Council, the stakeholders and board of trustee members who left all they have and came to Enugu to support us; It’s a support for Igbo economic revival not just us.

“Our first assignment is to make this apex sociocultural organisation of Igbo youths a membership driven youth body in all the communities, local government and Igbo states as well as in the Diaspora.

“To start with, our leadership will ensure that within 6 months there will be active Ohanaeze youth council chapters in all the tertiary institutions in Nigeria, cities and states of none Igbo land geographical areas.

“Our leadership will ensure a mass mobilization and re-orientation of Igbo youths between 18 and 45 years, in order to reclaim our value system for a decent society.

“Our leadership will also go into a research to reach out to our brothers and sisters in various states who have been denied their Igboness due to super orchestrated conspiracy against Igbo race targeted to split the various ethnic nationalities of Igbo people.

“We will wake up from this conspiracy and come to our root about the Igbos in Egbema, Etche, Omuma, Ndoni, Ikwerre, Ekpeye, Obigbo, Ogba, Elele and Ndoki all in Rivers State. (New Telegraph)

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