Briefing newsmen yesterday in Zaria, NEF Spokesperson Prof
Ango Abdullahi said it was hypocritical for the Igbo to continue to live in
other parts of the country while agitating for Nigeria’s break up. His words:
“I am disappointed in the decision taken by Northern Governors’ Forum disowning
and condemning the agitation by this young agile and progressive youth groups.
“Let me ask these Northern governors, who are they representing, are they
representing spirits, ghost or people of the north? “Recently, people from
eastern part of this country, specifically Igbo, were busy calling for the
Sovereign State of Biafra and from all indication, their leaders including
governors are behind them.” He said whoever feels Nigeria “is not conducive for
him” should quit, adding that what the northern youth groups did was not a sin.
He lamented that none of the Northern governors reacted to the persistent call
for the actualisation of Biafra and other agitations. Abdullahi said when
Nnamdi Kanu was released on bail recently, over 100 vehicles escorted him to
his residence including big personalities from the South-west and South-east.
“This is somebody who has been agitating for the breakup of Nigeria but his
people were behind him, therefore, I am behind the youths. “This is because the
Northern youths are pushed to the wall, we have been calming them down in any
event similar to this. “These people always pretend that the North is cheating
them, not minding the fact that Southern Nigeria was developed with resources
from the North. “Please, look for a book written by Adamu FiKa, the Waziri of
Fika, on Nigeria’s budget before and after independence. “Each year, up to the
time Nigeria gained its independence, none of the two regions was able to
provide for itself. “I mean none of the Western and Eastern regions had the
money to effectively run the affairs of its region until they get financial
support from the Northern region,” he said. He recalled that the tradition had
remained during the colonial masters and nothing changed after they left the
country. Abdullahi said it was the same money from the North that was used to
construct Nigerian Railways, refineries and other facilities. “First oil
exploration was conducted using money from groundnut pyramid, cotton, hide and
skin among other cash crops from Northern Nigeria. However, these people tend
to forget all these goodies provided by the North toward ensuring the unity and
corporate existence of Nigeria. “They always look down on us, feeling that
Northerners are parasites in this country,” he said. Igbo should stop using
Biafra to terrorise Nigeria—Junaid Similarly, a Second Republic lawmaker, Dr.
Junaid Mohammed, asked the Federal Government to stop Igbo elite from hiding
under the guise of Biafra agitation to terrorise Nigerians. Mohammed, who spoke
in an interview with Saturday Vanguard, said the Igbo were not superior tribes
in the country. He said: “Why should Northern elders back Igbo quit notice
anyone stop the Northern youths from airing their views about those who are
threatening the cooperate existence of Nigeria? The Igbo must note that they do
not have a monopoly of violence and are not superior to other Nigerians in any
way to warrant their incessant threats and attacks on others. “Those who are
behind their nefarious Biafran bid are walking the streets free and nobody is
doing anything about that. It is very sad and disappointing for the Buhari
government to allow Biafra agitation to almost overwhelm the country. “This is
a major threat to Nigeria that is well organised by the Igbo elite and it is
unfair for the government to gloss over it for political reasons. “If the
Buhari government continues to allow the Igbo to push for Biafra unhindered
only to come out against the warning by Arewa youths, it will backfire because
nobody can play with the intelligence of the North. “I am not a man of violence
and will never advocate for any form of violence but a government that has
refused to check the excesses of the Igbo, culminating in the emergence of
Biafra, should be held responsible for what is unfolding now.” Ndigbo should be
calm —Ezeife Also speaking, a former governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka
Ezeife said: “I don’t see Northern Elders supporting the statement of the
youths who called the Igbo unprintable names. Ango Abdullahi has been difficult
to understand. He was the one who said the North was ready for Nigeria’s
disintegration, only God knows if he thought about the consequence of that to
the ordinary northerner not feudal people like him. The statement is
illegitimate. That is a wrong reaction and I believe that common sense will
prevail eventually. I know that Northern
Elders Forum consists of sagacious politicians like Maitama Sule, Justice
Mamman Nasir, Tanko Yakassai and many others, who will not make such remark. Igbos
should be calm and fear not because eventually, the will of God will prevail.”
Their statement is a signal to bloodshed —Afenifere On its part, National
Publicity Secretary of pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Mr. Yinka
Odumakin said: “It is only the naive that would think that those youths were
just acting on their own. The butterfly dancing on the river surface has
drummers beneath the water. This is what Ango Abdullahi has confirmed with his
intervention. Even their governors condemning them are just pretending. How
many of them have been arrested by the police? Who opened the Arewa House for
them? It is only the pathetically naive that would not know that those guys are
just messengers but the message is from their collective .If there is
leadership in Nigeria, this is the time to lead the process of a peaceful
sorting of Nigeria to avert the looming bloodshed the Arewa youths and their
elders are plotting.” Ango Abdullahi shouldn’t be taken seriously—Osuntokun In
his remarks, Political Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief
Akin Osuntokun, said: I don’t think Ango Abdullahi needs to be taken seriously.
He has clearly elected to be part of the problem by generating heat rather than
light. He has also consistently done damage to his background as an academic.
His vacuous assertions on the contribution of the Northern region to national
income at any point in the history of Nigeria have been repeatedly proven to
be absurd. They have no basis in fact,
logic or history. Abdullahi has
definitely not portrayed himself as an elder in the cherished African
appreciation of that age category.’’ We need ourselves in this country—Tsav On
his part, a retired Police Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav said:”Maybe the
Northern Elders made the statement out of frustration but we need ourselves in
this country. The Igbo should also speak reasonably because I feel the elders
were irked that none of the Igbo leaders had cautioned Kanu. However, we can’t
afford bloodshed like what happened during the civil war. Let us all work for
peace.” It’s an act of treason —Uranta Also reacting, Executive Secretary,
Nigerian National Summit Group, NNSG, Mr. Tony Uranta said: “Although some of
the signatories have been comrades seeking Justice in a restructured Nigeria, I
am shocked at this brazen and public act
of treason, that could, at the very least, trigger a pogrom against all
non-Northern Nigerians and, at worst, throw Nigeria into a civil war. We must
never forget how the 1966 pogrom in the North eventually threw Nigeria into the
costly civil war. Nnamdi Kanu’s IPOB never created terror, yet he spent a long
time in detention. These youths and
their elders who are definitely trying to whip up hate and violence must be
seen in the same light that Kanu was seen by the Federal Government.’’ Also, a
chieftain of the All Progressives Congress,APC, Mr. Shehu Hameed-Bankole said:
“I am relieved to hear that we have people who are thinking differently. The
so-called threat by the Arewa youths is nothing but advisory to the threat from
the Igbo especially the Biafra seekers.
The narrative has to change, it is either we truly have a good look at
our constitution and allow for a referendum or we are courting trouble.”
Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com
A statement released by the command's spokesperson, Bala Elkana, says on the 8th of June at about 10.00am, one Mohammed Faruk 'm' of No 37 Teslim Street, Bariga reported at Sabo Police Station that, two men namely Tobi Onileowo 'm' 26year old of Ilupeju and Olakunle Ayo 'm' 25years old of Igbogbo, Ikorodu shot him with a gun in an attempt to snatch his motorcycle.
Chris Pratt, 39, and Katherine Schwarzenegger, 29, are married. The couple tied the knot at the San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California, on Saturday.
