- Adebanjo Condemns Ultimatum
Second Republic Governor of Kaduna State and leader of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), Alhaji Balarabe Musa has condemned the three-month ultimatum given to Igbo living in the North to leave the region by some northern youths likening it to a call for war.
Speaking exclusively to The New Diplomat, he said, “This is a call for war by sections that are not even at the base of power in Nigeria. Both the so called Arewa youths and agitators in southeast are not at the base of power in the country. Who are those of them in the north making the threats, they are youths and virtually all of them I do not know except the one headed by Yerima. They can’t bet their threat on anything significant and those of them in the East are also youths. So, it’s a group of frustrated youths with their actions rising from genuine grievances.
In the South-East their grievance is marginalization. And the question is how can Nigerians revive and implement the policies of Gowon, the 3-Rs – Reconciliation, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction. If we can do that, I believe we can get over this. But we can’t get over this should they continue with this madness and in the case of the youth, the northern youths are the most deprived of the Nigerian youths because their capacity cannot be compared with that of others elsewhere. The level of educational development in the North is 40 years behind that of the south and this affects the youth. Based on this, these youths are not qualified to participate in the affairs of the country equally. So, it’s very easy for them to be manipulated because of their capacity.
Speaking further, Balarabe said their grievances arise from the laxity of the federal government to the plight of Nigerians who are frustrated by various incidents going on in the country.
“It’s their general grievances against the government. Look at the success of the Sit-At-Home order that was carried out across the 5 States in the south East.
Nobody should say the successful demonstration of that group in Southeast can be rubbished. It cannot be rubbished; it’s genuine because it was successful.
He urged the federal government to sit tight on this and fix it, warning that this was how the Biafran civil war stated in 1967 due to laxity on the part of government at the time to address the core issues that triggered the war.
Similarly, elder statesman and National Democratic Coalition, NADECO chieftain, Chief Ayo Adebanjo posited that the development is rather worrisome and is capable of threatening the unity of the county.
“They are just fanning the embers of discord and it is quite sad. These elements have over the years showed their propensity to attack people; they are holding a knife to the tiny rope that still holds the country together.”
“I hope that if they still have elders, their elders should call them to order, otherwise, it may be the beginning of the end of Nigeria, as we know it.”
“They should know that in 1967, they had a coalition to fight the Igbo but that coalition is no more there today. We know the people that fought the last war and won it.”
“I can boldly speak for the Yoruba nation, that if the north thinks they can declare another war against the Igbo, it would not work. If they see any Yoruba man joining them to fight the Igbo, then that person must be a mercenary.”
“The Igbo were not fighting, neither were they causing any crisis, but were just trying to make their grievances known in a peaceful manner.”
“Why should they be threatened? For Northerners to tell them to leave the north is sad for the polity.”
