‘Joint northern youths to fi nalise position’
In continuation of his restructuring advocacy, former Vice President and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has called for the removal of state of origin from the Constitution, suggesting that it should be replaced with state of residency. Th e party chieftain who also noted that “if such is done, it will put an end to cases of quit notice in diff erent parts of the country,” warned “it is high time Nigerians realised that they are people of one origin.” In a statement he personally issued in Abuja yesterday, Atiku, who condemned the counter quit notice issued in reaction to the earlier one in July, described as a fallacy the belief that there were people of Northern or Southern origin, adding that “an eye for an eye will leave Nigeria blind.”
“Just as I strongly condemned the quit notice on people of the Igbo ethnic stock living in Northern Nigeria and the counter quit notices that ensued, I also vehemently condemn the retaliatory quit notice given by certain elements in other parts of Nigeria to persons of other origins; be they Northern, Yoruba or any other ethnic grouping within our nation. “It is also for this reason, amongst others, that I have urged and still urge that Nigeria should be restructured and that State of Origin ought to be removed from our constitution and other relevant laws and policies, to be replaced by State of Residency.
“If we, as Nigerians, are tied to our residency, rather than the states where our ancestors originated from, this whole idea of quit notice would not have arisen in the fi rst place.” While citing the United Arab Emirates and South Africa, among others, as example, the former vice-president said, “if people of diff erent races can live in peace in those countries, Nigeria should do the same.”
“Finally, let me use this opportunity to commend the National Broadcasting Commission and the National Orientation Agency for taking steps to sanction radio stations that were guilty of playing the Igbo hate song and for embarking on an anti-hate speech drive. “Nigeria is our only country and our value as human beings is tied to the value of Nigeria. So, if we must give ourselves value, we must fi rst give Nigeria value.” Northern Coalition to resolve soon In a related development, the Joint Action Committee of all Northern Associations (JACOM), representing youth
groups of the 19 Northern states and Abuja, has said it was consulting widely and would soon come up with a fi nal position before the October 1 quit notice given to the Igbo in the region. Th e committee called on all Northern youth organisations to keep the peace and remain law-abiding, stressing that the country was going through challenging times.
At a press conference in Kaduna yesterday, the coalition said “the joint action committee is a representation of northern youth groups, cutting across the 19th Northern states and the FCT.” Addressing journalists in Kaduna, spokesperson of JACOM, Muhammad Isah Imam said, many would recall that in July, the coalition issued quit notice to the Igbo to leave the North. Giving a background to the quit notice, he said why some supported the move, others did not based on principles. Th ereafter, the group’s spokesman said, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo held meetings with northern leaders, adding that “some of the northern leaders reached out to us, including the fi ve
that issued the quit notice. “Some fi ve did not attend the June 30, 2017, meeting. Th ey, however, attended the third meeting held at Arewa House on July 28.” At the meeting, Imam recalled “there were leaders of over 30 youth organisations from Benue, Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, and Kwara, among others, and it was resolved that northern youth formed the federation of all northern youth organisations under which other northern youth organisations would be registered, and to operate with headquarters in Kaduna. PANDEF slams militants In a related development, the Pan Niger Delta Forum, has condemned the October 1 quit notice to the Yoruba and northerners living in the oilrich region to leave.
PANDEF, an umbrella body for Niger Delta leaders, led by Chief Edwin Clark, made the appeal yesterday, and urged the two regions to ignore the ultimatum, saying a faceless group cannot speak for people of the region. Th eir position followed a threat by a Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators, which, lastweek ordered northerners and the Yoruba in the region out before October 1, 2017. Countering their position, PANDEF, in a statement, described the ultimatum as most irresponsible and should be jettisoned by Yoruba and northerners living in the region as it does not have the backing of the people of the region.
Th e statement signed by PANDEF’s Coordinating Secretary, Dr. Alfred Mulade, said, “PANDEF, therefore, wishes to advise all law abiding persons from any section of the country, irrespective of tribe, creed or political affi liation, to remain calm, and go about their lawful endeavours, without fear of molestation, as everything is being done to ensure their safety and protection.” “Th is call, coming at a time when PANDEF leadership and stakeholders had a very useful meeting with Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, at the InterMinisterial Committee on the Niger Delta, a few days earlier, is certainly not an attractive venture.
Indeed, this group should know that there is no basis for this kind of this action; it is most irresponsible andshould be discountenanced. “PANDEF, therefore, urges all our compatriots in the Niger Delta Region, particularly the youths to remain calm, patient and patriotic, as we re-double our eff orts towards the peaceful resolution of the challenges in the region, including the Restructuring of the country along the lines of Fiscal Federalism.” Mulade further explained that a meeting between PANDEF and relevant stakeholders would hold in the next few days to discuss the various concessions reached with Acting President Osinbajo at the recent Inter-Ministerial Committee Meeting on the commitment of the Federal Government to dialogue with the leaders of the region.
It added that the proposed meeting would discuss issues such as “immediate take-off of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko; relocation of head and operational bases of Oil companies to their areas of operation in the Niger Delta region; inclusion of PANDEF in Inter-Ministerial Committee on Niger Delta; establishment of modular refi neries in the region; improved funding of intervention agencies such as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Presidential Amnesty Programme.”
