The Presidency on Monday urged the Igbo leaders to see themselves as partners with the Federal Government in the bid to promote peace and stability in the country. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, made the call while reacting to criticisms of the President’s Independence Day speech by the Ohaneze leadership.

In a statement issued in Abuja, Shehu said it was unfair for the group to blame the recent unrest in the South East region on the Federal Government. He said: “President Buhari was not abdicating his responsibilities. He didn’t request any political leader to do anything seminal or out of the box. All he said is, talk to your out-of-the-line-youth so that we have some peace. Igbo leaders need not to be on the defensive for the misbehaviour of the IPOB which they rightly condemned.

“The President was simply saying that the regional leaders also have a role to play in keeping their hot-headed youth in check.”

The Nation