Raphael Ede, Enugu

The Igbo Leaders of Thought (ILT) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately set up a constitute assembly that will draft a new constitution for the country before the 2019 general elections.

The leaders made the call in a communiqué released after their meeting in Enugu yesterday, stressing that it became  necessary following the alleged general rejection of the 1999 constitution.

They also said the observed flaws from the constitution would continue to affect election outcomes if not addressed now.

The group described the rate of killings in the country as unacceptable, claiming that it has assumed genocidal proportions.

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While calling for the urgent addressing of the situation before the general  elections, the group accused the Federal Government of selective prosecution of political opponents.

“The Igbo Leaders of Thought (ILT) feels that the solution to corruption is to resolve political corruption, which includes nepotism, appointment on basis of religious faith, protection of loyalists who are known to be manifestly corrupt, and expenditure of public funds without budgeting,” the statement said.

On the economy, the leaders lamented that the dysfunctional state of the system had relegated the country into poverty.  They recommended that steps should be taken to set up food production and animal husbandry, like the type promoted by the late Eastern Region Premier, Michael Okpara.