- Governor Ayodele Fayose notes that efforts being made by acting president Yemi Osinbajo to douse the tension are not enough
- He states that while secession was not the answer, the Igbo people have legitimate grievances that should be addressed
- According to Fayose, Nnamdi Kanu represented the interest of the younger generation of Igbos and his struggle has become an ideological movement
The federal government has been urged by the governor of Ekiti state Ayodele Fayose to commence dialogue with Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and other groups, as a way of reducing tension within the country.
The Ekiti governor also called on the government to consider restructuring the nation in order to give more powers and responsibilities to states and local governments.
Fayose made his comments while speaking in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, June 25, Premium Times reports.
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He urged the federal government to be fair to every section of the country, especially the “marginalized” Igbo people.
He said: “As much as secession is not an option, the handlers of our democracy must be equitable, fair and just to everyone.
“The Igbo have continued to suffer because of the perceived role of Emeka Ojukwu. If we say past governments didn’t do well what has the present government done differently?
“I agree that secession is not desirable but there must be justice and equity. When people are being killed or vilified, you must expect a reaction.
“No region should begin to use power to oppress another. If Nigeria is truly one, it will not get to a stage that one region will openly call on another to leave its land.
“The Acting President Yemi Osinbajo is doing his best but that is not enough. We must remember that those who make positive change impossible make violent change inevitable.
"A situation where a section will be suffering forever because of their role in the civil war is not fair.”
On the agitations by IPOB, the governor said: “The federal government should dialogue with the aggrieved and forge ahead.
“Using force will not help because some of those things they thought had died in the past are now rearing their ugly heads.
“It is no doubt that (Nnamdi) Kanu is representing the interest of the younger generation of Igbo. Instead of fighting him, they should release them and invite him for a dialogue.
“His struggle has become an ideological movement with massive followers irrespective of what some people are telling the federal government to curry a favour, which is momentarily. By the action of this government they have made Kanu more popular.
“Without mincing words, the present government has divided Nigeria more than ever. It is the legitimate right of the people to agitate if they feel they are wrongly treated. You can’t get peace where there is no justice.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us. It is the wish of some people that an Igbo man does not become the president but this is against the spirit and letters of our constitution.”
Fayose also called for a review of the revenue sharing formula. He said: “For the country to move forward the states should takeover economically.”
“The federal government must purge itself of some responsibilities because the actual development is at grassroots. The states and the local governments are nodal points of developments.”
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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that the Ekiti state governor Ayo Fayose had made a move to raise funds for leader of Indigenous People of Biafra Nnamdi Kanu.
Fayose worked in conjunction with deputy senate president Ike Ekweremadu on the plans to raise funds for Kanu’s family.
Fayose said that he was taking his support for Kanu beyond showing solidarity in court to making plans for provisions for Kanu’s well-being and that of his family members.
Watch this NAIJ.com TV video of Nnamdi Kanu addressing his followers in Abia state
