Minister of Aviation in the first republic, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, has said the Federal Government should stop treating Arewa youth who issued the Igbo quit notice and anti-Igbo songs as sacred cows.
The elder statesman in an interview with SUN said the Independent People of Biafra leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu was simply peacefully agitating for the freedom of his people as opposed to the Arewa youth who were threatening violence.
Speaking on the issue of restructuring, he said, “The 2019 election must be held under a new constitution. President Muhammadu Buhari and everybody must make sure that we have a constitutional conference or a constituent assembly or by whatever name we call it and subject the outcome to a plebiscite.
“The Senate and the House of Representatives are legislative houses to make laws for the country and not to make a constitution for Nigerians. As 2019 is not very far away, the earlier the president sets the machinery in motion for it, the better for the country. Whether he is working from his house or kitchen, that should be a top priority.
“The whole country is demanding that they come together to renegotiate the basis of their being together for peace to reign. Everything about 2019 elections should be put on hold until we have restructured this country.
“As long as this is not done, there will continue to be so much friction, there would continue to be disunity and there would continue to be dissatisfaction, which may lead to a total explosion of the country.
Amaechi said Buhari’s speech were he said the unity of Nigeria was non-negotiable was the position of the cabal that wants to destroy Nigeria.
He said, “That speech was written by a member of the cabal in the cabinet, the people who want to destroy this country; people who want the North to be the perpetual ruler and to lord it over other people, giving the small crumbs that fall from the table to the South West and using the South East and the South-South as slaves for the nation.
“The President said he was going to deal with separatist agitators, and Nnamdi Kanu is a major agitator. Considering that he has gone a step further to set up Biafra secret service, how do you see the Federal Government treating him now?
“If I wake up and say, I would go and blow up Aso Rock, would I be arrested, or when I march to Aso Rock fully armed? Why the focus on Nnamdi Kanu, what of the other Arewa youth who are committing similar or more grievous offences? What has been done to them? If Kanu breaks the law, let him be punished, not when he is unarmed and just making a statement that his people are not being treated fairly.
What Kanu is saying is that Igbo want to go, if you don’t agree with him, put it to a plebiscite. That is how it has been done in other places. Scotland said it wanted to leave the United Kingdom, and they put it to a plebiscite, the majority said they didn’t want to go away.
I don’t see why it should be different in Nigeria. Plebiscite does not amount to war.
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