By Flowerbudnews
The Igbo Women’s Assembly (IWA), a socio-cultural group involving all women of Igbo extraction, has urged the Federal Government to check political marginalization and militarization of the South-East.
The IWA also urged President Bola Tinubu to use his good office to release all political detainees including the Leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and Chief Frederick Nwajagu among others.
The National President of IWA, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, made the plea at the weekend in Enugu during a press conference on “The State of South-East, Ndi Igbo and Recent National Developments”.
Chimezie noted that it was clear to political watchers that the people of the South-East had been pushed out of the mainstream of national politics.
She said that for equity to reign all regions and sections must be fully represented in national politics, adding that “in previous administrations, the region was accorded it rightful place in the scheme of national politics”.
According to her, another issue is the militarisation of the South-East even when we are not in a state of war as you can hardly drive between five and 10 minutes in major roads without seeing a military checkpoint.
“It is pathetic that these multiple checkpoints have started working against the progress of the region as vehicles spend time on queues and in some checkpoints commuters are meant to alight and trek a distance before rejoining their vehicles.
“While in some checkpoints you see activities of extortion taking place, which further delays those vehicles on the queue.
“We are demanding the immediate removal of military checkpoints in South-East and replacing them with fewer police checkpoints to ensure traffic flow,” she said.
The IWA boss lamented the manner in which the people of the region are treated during national programmes and events especially threat and physical assault melted on them during the last General Election.
Chimezie said: “We are witnesses and with recorded evidences how due to divergent political view or alignment by the people of South-East, the likes of M.C. Oluomo and group threatened and physically assaulted our people.
“And the current Igbo-Must-Go calls by some unpatriotic elements in Lagos State and the way the Federal Government is treating such issue with kid gloves and levity.”
She noted that the call on the release of all political detainees was predicted on the fact that some other people from other regions had did and said grievous things and “they were not incarcerated but treated with kid glove”.
