ICSC thumbs up Yoruba nation for adoption of restructuring; Calls for probe of allegations against IGP

From: Madu Ezenoha, Enugu

Igbo Civil Society Coalition (ICSC), a civil society group, has commended the Yoruba nation for the recent historic and successful Yoruba Summit and for endorsing the restructuring of Nigeria.

The group in a communiqué signed by Prof Obasi Igwe, National Coordinator, and Mazi Ikechukwu Bizmarck Oji, Convener of ICSC, and made available to journalists in Enugu at the weekend, stated that the true representatives of the Yoruba nation deliberated extensively on the restructuring agenda and the future of Nigeria and unanimously resolved that there would be no 2019 election, without restructuring.

“Surely, the Yoruba nation has been pacesetters in various spheres of life and we commend them, once more, for this bold innovative step. We totally agree with our Yoruba brothers that ‘Restructuring does not mean different things to different people other than that a multi-ethnic country like Nigeria can only know real peace and

development if it is run ONLY along federal lines’”.

The group said that any person, group of persons or political party that does not support Restructuring of the country “is an enemy of Nigeria”.

ICSO therefore, urged all other ethnic nationalities and geo-political zones in Nigeria to hold their own “referendums” where they will arrive at their own template for the renegotiation of Nigeria, saying with that, the true representatives of the ethnicities presently housed in Nigeria shall arrive at a new constitution which shall in

all honesty begin with the phrase, “We the peoples of Nigeria…….”

On the allegations of graft leveled against the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) the civil society group said it was appalled at the current attempt to sweep accusations of corruption against the IGP of collecting N120billion as “Special Security Services” from oil companies and banks under the carpet. “The EFCC should waste no time in carrying out a due investigation of the weighty allegation. Such an allegation, coming from a distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a former police officer cannot be waved aside.

“Surely, Senator Isa Misau is knowledgeable enough to know the implication of false whistle blowing. The EFCC and ICPC should deal with all Nigerians with the same standards. As such, they should not be seen as selecting which whistle blowers to hearken to and which ones to ignore as that will make nonsense of the Government’s anti

corruption crusade,” they said.

The group said that the case becomes more intriguing with the Police authorities and the Police Service Commission contradicting each other.

ICSC commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his Government’s Anti- Corruption policy, adding that indeed, a corruption and nepotism free society, where due process and merit was the order of the day was very

dear to the heart of Ndigbo since Ndigbo believe in merit and fairness.