Assures northerners resident in S/East
By AbdulRaheem Aodu
Kaduna
Leader of the Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, has blamed politicians for the recent ultimatum handed to Igbo by Arewa youth to leave the North and Northerners to leave South-east.
Addressing Arewa youth and women group yesterday in Kaduna, alongside Major Hamza Al-Mustapha (retd), the MASSOB leader said, Arewa youth were being manipulated by politicians to issue the threat, noting that “if it is allowed to happen, it would cause chaos and crises across the country.”
He said the Igbo had right to seek redress when marginalised and the right to seek self-determination, but it should be without violence.
Uwazuruike said when he founded MASSOB in 1999, it was meant to be a peaceful platform, through which issues of perceived marginalisation of the Igbo in Nigeria could be discussed and tackled.
The Igbo leader added that even though it was right for any part of the country to seek self-determination, it was wrong to pursue same through violent means.
“There is a threat for Igbo to leave the North and for Northerners to leave South-east. If it happens, lot of them would die in the road and for those that did not die what would you do with them?
“Youth must not allow that threat to continue, the country must continue to exist as one nation but issues of marginalisation can be discussed. There is no cause for alarm in the North or South; the crises are being manipulated by politicians we should not allow that to happen.
“I want to assure Northerners that your people in the South-east are safe and nobody will harass them, and am happy that my friend, Al-Mustapha has also given same assurance of the safety of our people in the North.
“Self determination without violence is a fundamental right; we must strive against sowing the seed of discord, but do all that will promote peace and justice. There is a gap of communication from our leaders which needs to be bridged, leaders of the North should meet periodically with leaders of the South.
“I handed over Radio Biafra which I created to Nnamdi Kanu in London as the managing director and was hoping it would serve the purpose for which it was created, but was disappointed that politicians hijacked it and it became something else,” the MASSOB leader further explained.
In his remark, Major Al-Mustapha (retd), the former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, said there was the need to intervene in the impasse threatening the unity and oneness of the country, particularly with the recent quit notice given to Igbo resident in the North by a coalition of northern youth organisations.
He urged the youth to wear their thinking caps and use their brains and not to be used to foment any form of crisis that could affect the unity of the country.
Al-Mustapha said the raging issue in Nigeria that is causing tension was not surprising, because it may have been sponsored by countries that envy Nigeria.
He noted that they could even go as far as sponsoring stooges to leadership positions in the country, or backing rebels to stop countries with huge potentials from reaching their peak.
Al-Mustapha, while cautioning the Arewa youth coalition from making statements that would further cause tension in the country, said the youth’s actions may be borne out of frustration as a result of unpleasant comments coming from the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
“We are appealing that our younger ones, who have been declared wanted, should be set free and the order of arrest should be rescinded because it is not the solution.”
