Ohaneze Youth Council, the apex umbrella youth body in the South East Zone has warned governors and members of houses of assembly in the zone against sabotaging the Bill because of the N5bn alleged to have been released by Miyetti Allah and other interested parties to frustrate the passage of the Bill in the zone.
The Youth body stated this through it’s National President, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka while fielding questions from newsmen in Enugu on Tuesday, August 24, 2021.
The OYC President noted that there are speculations that members of some houses of assembly in the South East have allegedly collected five billion naira from Miyetti Allah Cattle Rearers Association to jettison the call for the ban of open grazing in the zone.
He lamented that over 500 lives have been wasted by the dreaded Fulani herdsmen in the South east between 2016 and now, pointing out that no amount of money is commensurate with the insensitivity and disdain for the sanctity of human life.
The youth group warned the legislators plotting and executing the evil, nefarious and abominable plan to institutionalize open grazing to drop the idea or face the wrath of angry Igbo youths from different segments.
In a release signed by the Special Assistant to the National President, Comrade ThankGod Emeh, they said, “The House of Assembly members in South East should watch their actions and inactions and as well know that they are commonly living with the people in various communities in Igboland without any form of immunity or sophisticated security detail like the governors, therefore any attempt to take bribe and jettison the anti-open grazing Bill will be a foolhardy that endangers not only their lives but that of family members as well as Neighbors in South-East”
“South-East has become the land of blood spillage by incessant attacks of fulani herdsmen that Enugu and Ebonyi states had most victims of fulani attacks and our farm lands has been deserted that famine will soon hit southeast, therefore those behind all attempts to collect five billion naira (5b) from Miyetti Alla Cattle Rearers to jeopardize southeast security should know that “Ukwu na a ga wamwam, anya na a ga zamzam na ahu ya”, Igboayaka added.
“Ohanaeze Youth Council call on Community youths of Igbo extraction to rise up now and resist any attempt to scuttle Anti-Open Grazing Bill by current dubious house of assembly members in Southeast”
With this fast and unpatriotic attempt to sell out Ndigbo to killer herdsmen, Ohanaeze Youth Council gives Southeast house of assembly members 30 days to pass the anti-Open Grazing Bill into law with immediate effect, as failure to do so without doubt mean that the whooping 5 billion naira was really collected and acted upon.
Consequently, after the 30 days there will be an All- Igbo Youth Match to the family house of the house of assembly members to demonstrate a civil disobedient from the people. This movement will be more heavy than Aba Women mass resistance (riot) that made Britain to stand-still.
Moreso, South-East House of Assembly Members should emulate their counterpart- Rivers State House of Assembly members that have acted on the request of the masses in the state by passing the anti-open Grazing Bill.
The southeast Governors led by Gov. David Umahi Shouldn’t romance killer fulani Herdsmen but should embrace this call, and remember that it was lack of leadership direction as regards insecurity in Igbo land that made pro-Biafrans to take laws into their hands on self-defense, and the consequence of such act is still an untold story in South-East.”
