By Praise Chinecherem
Leadership of the Youth Wing of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has condemned in its entirety, the arson attack on the facilities at the Eze-Oke Nsu Ehime Mbano LGA, attributing it to misinformation.
The arson attack came after some quarters condemned the project as part of an elaborate ominous plan by the Nigerian Government to dispossess the communities of their ancestral land and heritage.
The Igbo quarters also accused the Federal Government of planning to import displaced persons from the Northern part of the country, a distance of thousands of kilometers away from their locality and homeland, into Imo State.
But after he led a delegation from the youth wing of the Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, on an on-the-spot assessment of the facilities at Eze-Oke Nsu Ehime Mbano LGA, the acting Ohanaeze Youth Leader, Mazi Chukwuma Okpalaezeukwu expressed worry over how misinformation had led to the destruction of a well-purposed project.
According to him, the visit was to determine the truth behind the series of misinformation about the real intent of the facility and assess the level of damages done to the facility following the arson attack by yet-to-be-identified individuals.
The apex Igbo youth leadership organization frowned at the destruction of what they described as a very useful resource centre for Igbo youths as a result of misinformation.
Okpalaezeukwu expressed displeasure with the action of the arsonists while confirming that the facilities that are in place could not have been for anything else, but for the educational and economic empowerment of Igbo Youths.
According to him, “It is disheartening that such a level of destruction could be wrecked on a facility that is clearly meant for the education and skill acquisition needs of our youths.
“We know what an IDP camp looks like and there is no single indication that this place could have been an IDP camp for the relocation of people.
“There is no single structure here that is residential. All we could find here are learning facilities for our children.
“We also saw many computers, apparently meant for computer-based examination of our children, destroyed, and we condemn it without any reservations.”
The group also commended the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma for his passion for empowering Imo youths.
“We commend Governor Uzodinma for his sterling vision for a greater Igboland, through concerted investments in the empowerment and development of Igbo youths.
“We encourage him not to be deterred in his efforts at bequeathing a stronger and brighter future to the next generation through his youth-friendly initiatives,” the group said.
Speaking during the visit, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Youth Affairs, Hon Eric Uwakwe commended the Ohanaeze youth leadership for their courage and proactiveness in being the first to visit the facility after the arson attack.
He assured them of the Imo State Government’s resolve to continue to take initiatives that will protect the lives and property of the Imo people.
