The leadership of the Ndigbo apex organisation, Ohanaeze, and the Indigenous People of Biafra on Thursday disagreed over the rejection of power devolution, a major component of restructuring that some Nigerians are clamouring for.
While Ohanaeze expressed disappointment at the position of the Senate and the House of Representatives on the issue of power devolution, IPOB hailed the Senate for voting against restructuring of the country.
Ohanaeze said in a statement signed by its President-General, Chief John Nnia Nwodo, in Abuja on Thursday, expressed its disappointment and that as representatives of the people the lawmakers were unable to correctly gauge the mood and desires of their people and the nation.
“The barrage of voices in this country lately shows clearly that majority of Nigerians are desirous of the country running a true federal system and one expected the NASS to have appreciated this in all their actions especially in constitutional amendment,” the statement said.
Nwodo, who was a former minister of information, counselled the National Assembly that rather than go into constitutional amendment at this time that the mood of the country was pro- restructuring, they ought to have concerned themselves with making the necessary legislative enactment to empower the convening of a national conference for real constitutional drafting.
He added, “Any action whether legislative or executive in this country today that is not programmed to respond to the yearnings of the populace will amount to excise in futility.”
But IPOB in a statement in Awka, Anambra State by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, the secessionist group said the Senate’s action had vindicated its leader, Nnamdi Kanu’s position on the issue.