Governors of the 19 northern states on Wednesday, disowned the groups that issued the ultimatum to Igbos to vacate the northern part of Nigeria within
Governors of the 19 northern states on Wednesday, disowned the groups that issued the ultimatum to Igbos to vacate the northern part of Nigeria within three months or be forced to leave. Specifically, the governors called on security agencies to arrest the youth leaders and probe the motive behind the call.
The Borno State Governor and Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Kashim Shettima, spoke on behalf of his colleagues in Maiduguri. He said they had taken measures that would guarantee the rights of all Nigerians to live in the 19 states in the geo-political zones within the North.
“On behalf of the governors of the 19 northern states, we totally condemn such irresponsible pronouncements by those groups; we condemn, we disown and we are totally distancing ourselves from those faceless groups, who don’t have the mandate of the people of northern Nigeria to make such loud pronouncements.
“We wish to call on the security agencies to beam their lenses on these groups, and unearth the faces behind the mask. Some months back, there were cases of importation of arms, illegal importation of arms intercepted at the ports; then, we started hearing rumours of a coup d’etat. Now, a group, or a bunch of groups that do not have the mandate of the people came up with remarks capable of destabilising the North and the country as a whole.
“We are one nation tied to a common destiny. The governors of northern Nigeria are not in alignment with those pronouncements, and we will take whatever measures that is necessary to safeguard the lives and properties of Nigerians living in any part of the North. I am in contact with most of my colleagues, and they are all talking to heads of security establishments in their respective domains because we cannot afford to take chances.”
In its own reaction, the umbrella body for the North, the Arewa Consultative Forum, and the Sarkin Fulani Nasarawa, Senator Walid Jibrin, condemned in strong terms the ultimatum which, according to the coalition would expire on October 1, 2017. The National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Alhaji Muhammadu Ibrahim, in a statement, distanced the Forum from the ultimatum.
He noted that democracy guaranteed the freedom of movement of all citizens to all parts of the country in pursuit of their legitimate business devoid of hindrances from any individual or groups. The ACF said it appreciated the frustrations of the Indigenous People of Biafra, MASSOB and the Northern Youth Groups, but said it would not encourage any act that was not in conformity with the law by any group or individuals which would do no one any good.
The ACF then appealed for caution over unguarded utterances or statements that were capable of jeopardising the unity, peace and corporate existence of Nigeria. Jibrin, who is also the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, condemned the action of the youths, noting that all Nigerians, irrespective of their tribes, had the right to live in any part of the country.
Saying he was not speaking for the PDP, he added that the Igbos were broad-minded people, who had, over the years, helped to develop the economy of the North. He described as unacceptable any move, asking the Igbo to leave the region.
Jibrin said, “Our past experiences of Biafran war will never allow any northerner or Igbo man to pray for the bad experiences of the Biafran war. I want to remind the group calling for Igbos to leave the North that there are equally many northerners living comfortably anywhere in the South-Eastern Nigeria and who have well established businesses in the Igboland.”
In the same vein, the Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, also condemned the statement attributed to the northern youths, describing it as wrong-headed. The group’s spokesman, Yinka Odumakin, said the youth had further stoked the tension in the country with their thoughtless declaration, noting that the security agencies should arrest them.
He said, “Look at the fragile unity in the country, the tension in the land and for a group of youths to gather in Arewa House and make this declaration is uncalled for. I expect elders in the North to rein them in and for them to withdraw the ultimatum.
“This is why Afenifere has been canvassing for the restructuring of Nigeria because many constituent units in the country are not happy with the way Nigeria is today and the best approach is a negotiated settlement on the terms of our unity.”
Punch
