Abakaliki: Engr Dave Nweze Umahi, FNSE, Governor, Ebonyi State and Chairman, South East Governors Forum has expressed the readiness of he and his brother South East Governors to declare a public holiday on May 30th annually, in commemoration of the 5 million Igbos, including women and children who lost their lives in the civil war.
Umahi stated that while speaking as a guest on Sunrise Daily, Channels TV current affairs program on Tuesday, June 1st, 2021.
Governor Umahi cut the picture of a “street wise leader” in sync with the Igbo youths as his assertion was an immediate and sincere assent to the request of the leadership of the Ohanaeze Youth Council Worldwide, that Government, both South East and Federal recognize May 30 as a public holiday.
A statement issued by Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, President General Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide read as follows:
“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has asked the South East Governors and the the Federal Government to recognize May 30 as a national public holiday.
The group made the call while reacting to the compliance level of the sit-at-home declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
OYC noted that the order witnessed the highest level of compliance ever.
Speaking through a statement by its President-General, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, the OYC said the compliance level was another indication that the people were feeling so sidelined and rejected by the current federal government.
Okwu said “the Government has had several opportunities to win back the confidence of Ndigbo but it threw it away. One of such opportunities was the appointment of Army Chief, which the Government could have used to right wrongs but it never did.
“However, we call on the Buhari Government to declare May 30 as a national public holiday in honour of over 5 million Biafrans killed during the civil war.
“Since the Government recognized June 12 in honour of a single person, it should find no difficulty in honouring these over 5 million heroes, including children.”
Umahi stated that there was nothing wrong in setting aside May 30th as a public holiday in the South East zone, provided the youths who referred to as “The actual leaders of the zone” and other stakeholders request for such and the modalities for such are worked out.
According to him, “people should not be forced to observe public holidays. Even now, during public holidays, nobody tells people How to observe it.”
