"Why Igbo Youths Are Shunning Recruitment in Military Agencies" – Apex Igbo Women Group Responds, Cites Marginalization

The National President of the Igbo Women Assembly (IWA), Nneka Chimezie, has attributed the declining interest of Igbo youths in joining military and paramilitary agencies to the alleged marginalization of Igbos in Nigeria, particularly within the security sector.

Speaking in reaction to a recent statement by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, regarding the security situation in the South East, Chimezie pointed to the delayed promotions of Igbo officers and the historical sidelining of the region in federal appointments as major reasons behind the growing apathy.

"They have been denied their rightful promotion, especially those in the security agencies. And that’s part of the reason Igbo youths are losing interest in military recruitments," Chimezie stated.

She explained that many Igbo youths refuse to enlist in the military and police because they observe that officers from their region rarely receive timely promotions compared to their counterparts from other parts of the country.

"In other federal establishments, the story is the same. The quota of the South East is always shortchanged.
So these are the things these children are protesting. When they graduate from school like their fellow youths from other tribes, they don’t get equal opportunities for employment.
They feel unjustly excluded from the Nigerian structure," she added.

Chimezie emphasized that the desire of Igbo youths is for inclusion and full integration into the Nigerian system. She vowed that the Igbo Women Assembly would no longer remain silent on the challenges facing Igbo youths.

She also criticized the proliferation of security checkpoints across roads in the South East, alleging widespread extortion by security operatives at these points. She lamented that insecurity has forced many young people in some Igbo communities to migrate away from their homes in fear.

Furthermore, the IWA President called on the Federal Government to engage in dialogue with the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to address their grievances. She pointed out that if repentant Boko Haram members could be granted amnesty and reintegrated into society, there should be no justification for refusing to engage IPOB in constructive discussions.