Abuja: Former Vice President and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Atiku Abubakar has described the ultimatum issued by a Northern youth coalition to the Igbos to quit the region and the counter response by a South-east group “is not only provocative, reckless and thoughtless, as the federal government has welcomed the arrest order placed on the leadership of the group by the Governor of Kaduna state, Malam El Rufai, just as news of another meeting has been called by the group to react to the arrest order by the governor.
Alhaji Atiku said that the statement is” a grave threat to national security and peaceful coexistence”.
Reacting to the ultimatum and the counter salvos through a statement issued by his Media Office Wednesday in Abuja, the Wazirin Adamawa said he was alarmed by the latest dangerous outbursts, warning that it does not augur well for the North and the country at large.
“For a country facing threats of disunity, such ultimatum and counter rhetoric at this time is most irresponsible and callous, because it is capable of setting off a chain of ugly events nobody could control”, he said.
The APC chieftain warned politicians of all hues to distance themselves from such divisive rhetoric because, according to him, the consequences of such association could ultimately consume them.
According to him, all grievances must be peacefully discussed and resolved through negotiations, and not through threats to fellow citizens.
“Atiku Abubakar calls for restraint on all sides by the Youth groups to pave the way for meaningful dialogue on how to restructure our country for the good of all. Our country is too precious; our problems are too pressing to pander to divisive rhetoric”, the statement added. The former Vice President however appealed to the authorities to address the challenges of youth restiveness, as well as social and economic exclusion, which are the drivers of tensions. He stressed that the country should not be afraid to confront the recurring clamour for restructuring, adding that burying problems under the carpet would not make those problems go away.
“On the contrary, he says, an ostrich attitude towards these challenges could produce future complications beyond our capacity to manage.”
FG Happy with Arrest Order Placed Youth Group
Following the statement, and subsequent order to arrest the youths for making the statement, the federal government has commended the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai for ordering the arrest of leaders of the Coalition of Northern Youths, CNY, for asking Igbos to vacate the North in three months, the federal government has commended the governor for taking the bold step to call the activities of the group to order.
The federal government’s commendation was disclosed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed on Wednesday.
The Minister, who took to his twitter handle, @MohammedLai wrote: “The President Buhari commends the Kaduna state government for arresting those miscreants. Jobless youths.
“The Buhari Administration vehemently condemns such a wicked plan by faceless Northern youths to evict Igbos from the North. This is their country na.”
Recall that the spokesperson of a Northern Coalition group, Coalition of Northern Youths, CNY, Abdulaziz Suleiman, had ordered Igbos to vacate the region in three months.
Northern Youths in Fresh Meeting
Meanwhile, the group, the Coalition of Northern Youth groups that called for the sack of the Igbos in the North are currently holding another meeting.
The fresh meeting was convened in response to Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s condemnation of their attempt to kick out Nigerians of Igbo origin residing in the Northern states.
The meeting, we understand, is to articulate a well-thought out course of action following El-Rufai’s order for their arrest and prosecution.
Abdulaziz Suleiman, a coordinator of the group, told newsmen that El-Rufai’s move to block his group from forcing a mass exodus of Igbos from northern states was “disappointing.”
“We are currently meeting to decide on how best to react.
“Personally, I am disappointed with some of our leaders. These types of threats were issued against the Fulani recently and no governor from the South came out to condemn it,” Suleiman added.
