Igbo youths do not understand politics, mentor them — Akpabio tells Ndigbo elders

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has urged elders in the South East to guide younger people away from armed confrontation and strengthen efforts aimed at sustaining peace in the region.

He made the appeal during the funeral of Sir Albert Ikechukwu Nnamani, former Administrative Secretary of the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Area Development Commission, held in Ikem, Enugu State.

Speaking at the event, Akpabio said the current generation of youths in the South East lacks a proper understanding of political processes and development dynamics, stressing the need for mentorship from community leaders.

“For Ndigbo, I want to plead with you to continue to maintain the peace and watch the youth of today. They don’t understand politics. They don’t understand development. You can only have development in an area of peace,” he said.

He warned against attempts to achieve political objectives through violence, arguing that such approaches would not succeed.

“A situation where you try to wrestle power and try to assert independence through armed struggle from the Federal Government will fail. State power will always overwhelm you,” Akpabio said.

The Senate President also reaffirmed the readiness of the National Assembly to consider legislative steps aimed at addressing structural concerns raised by the South East, including the possibility of creating an additional state.

“We are prepared as a parliament to make the right laws, to dot the i’s and cross the t’s in order for Ndigbo to have, at least, an additional state so that they will also be equal to the other zones of the country,” he said.

Akpabio said the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken steps to improve inclusion across regions, adding that political and developmental demands should be pursued through negotiation.

“That is why even in terms of appointments, he has done his best to ensure that Ndigbo is not marginalised. But everything you want should be negotiated,” he said.

He also expressed concern over the economic impact of sit-at-home directives in parts of the South East, noting that commercial activity in cities such as Onitsha has been significantly affected.

“We need a solid base in Ndigbo land. I am not happy that the economy of Onitsha and Nigeria is affected by the so-called sit at home. It has affected your economy so badly,” he said.

Reflecting on post-civil war recovery, Akpabio said infrastructure development in the South East and South South had lagged behind expectations, calling for renewed attention to reconstruction efforts.

In his tribute to the late Nnamani, he described him as a disciplined public servant who contributed to early intervention frameworks in the Niger Delta through the former Oil Mineral Producing Area Development Commission.

“As administrative secretary of the former OMPADEC, he discharged his duty with dignity and candour and set the tone for the development of the Niger Delta region,” he said.