OHANAEZE NDIGBO YOUTH COUNCIL (OYC) SPAIN CALLS ON JONATHAN TO EXTEND AMNESTY PROGRAMS TO IGBO YOUTHS

By Uchendu Precious Onuoha (Special Correspondent Spain)

OHANAEZE NDIGBO YOUTH COUNCIL (OYC) SPAIN CALLS ON JONATHAN TO EXTEND THE NIGER-DELTA AMNESTY PROGRAMS TO IGBO YOUTHS

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Spain (OYC) has called on President Jonathan to extend the Niger Delta amnesty programs and benefits to the nonviolent Igbo Youths of the South Eastern states as they are among the oil states of the Niger Delta region. Speaking at the December 10, 2014 end of year  meeting held in Madrid by the organization, the leader Hon. Uchendu Precious Onuoha highlighted on the youth empowerment packages and programs mapped out for the Niger Delta Youths by the president which  include employment by international firms operating in the region, Education Scholarship, special vocational training, and skill acquisition schemes to the youths of the region both home and abroad, and the payment of monthly allowance among others.

The leader lamented that Igbo youths who are among the oil producing states of the Niger Delta are benefiting little or nothing from the President’s amnesty programs to empower the youths to pursue a meaningful life and steer them away from restiveness, crime and violence. Among the packages and incentives given to the youths of the oil producing states, Igbo youths are not benefiting and are not carried along in the scheme of things. He reiterated that while the youths of the Niger Delta states like Rivers, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Delta are placed on monthly allowances and are been trained abroad on various skills and professions, their Igbo counterparts are left out. He stated that the non-violent posture of Igbo youths from the oil producing states not to take to arms and violence to disrupt oil explorations and exploitation in their regions should not be taken for granted. The government should implement developmental projects to offer gainful employments to the teeming population of unemployed youths in the region. The leader reiterated that government should not wait until youths take to violent acts before proffering solutions. 

Onuoha stated that about 16,000 ex-militants youths of Niger Delta are currently been trained on various vocations abroad till 2015 while the nonviolent youths spread across Igbo land who are not among these lot  are suffering and roaming the streets without employment. He pointed out that there are oil wells located, and exploited in Abia, Imo, Ebonyi and other states of the South East region. Empowering nonviolent Igbo youths like their counterparts in other states will bring about equity and fairness in the region. The leader therefore called on the special adviser to the President on Niger Delta Hon. Kinglsey Kuku to enlist Igbo youths to benefit from the President’s Amnesty programs as to empower the youths in the region, as that will help to keep the local youths away from crime. Stating that what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

The youths who were in high spirit, commended the leader for his visionary leadership and fighting spirit for the cause of Igbo youths both in Diaspora and at home. And they resolved to raise a communique to all the five Igbo state governors appealing to them to tender their demands to the president. We are not asking for the moon, all we are saying is that what is good for our counterparts in other states is good for us.