A group of women under the aegis of the Amalgamation of Northern Women Associations, on Saturday, held protests in Abuja, demanding a referendum for all Igbo agitators; either to choose a united Nigeria or Biafra.
According to the coordinator of the group, Hadiza Adamu, who spoke on behalf of the group said: “Nigerian history has shown that women carry the heavy burden of war, and acts of insurrection, and terrorism. We have gone through it from 1967 to 1971, our men died, and left us with children to cater for out of nothing, other men that survived, simply moved on, but we never moved on.
“The aftermath of the war and the suffering left lifetime scars in our hearts and our bodies. It is for this reason that we have come together today, and say we don’t want another war, another insurrection.
The group further requested the Nigerian government to slate a plebiscite for the citizens to decide their fate.
“We, therefore, unanimously call on president Muhammadu Buhari as the leader, and father of the country, and the leadership of the National Assembly, president of the senate, Dr Ahmed Lawal, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabimilla, to immediately call for referendum in the country.
“Let people choose to live in peace in Nigeria or leave. Any other group or nationality that wants to secede to exercise their right of self determination like the South East has been agitating for decades to be allowed to leave Nigeria peacefully, without resorting to a second civil war.
“Today, the Igbo nation has turned the entire South East to almost a war zone, Northerners irrespective of their tribes, are no longe safe, states infrastructure are no longer safe, service personnel from police to army are not safe, INEC offices and other symbol of democracy in the country are being destroyed on dairly basis, our husband’s that go to do business in Southeast no longer return home safe, our political leaders travel to the Southeast on national assignments are assassinated in broadday light.”
Ijeoma Njoku reporting, Obinwannem News | June 5, 2021
