As reactions continue to trail the ‘eviction’ ultimatum given to Igbos resident in northern Nigeria by a youth group, a Coalition of Northern Civil Society Organizations has described the directive as a mere fallacy and a mission impossible.
Recall that a coalition of Northern Youth Groups tagged “The Kaduna Declaration” had given all Igbos residing in any part of Northern Nigeria three months to relocate to their places of origin.
The spokesman of the group, Alhaji AbdulAziz Suleiman while briefing newsmen in Kaduna Tuesday said, “With the effective date of this declaration, which is today, Tuesday, June 06, 2017, all Igbos currently residing in any part of Northern Nigeria are hereby served notice to relocate within three months and all northerners residing in the East are advised likewise.
Reacting to the directive on Tuesday, NCSO said northern Nigeria is never at war with the Igbo counterpart and has no reason to eject them from their own country.
Comrade Guoana Gamji, National President of the group in a statement forwarded to DAILY POST described the order as a clear case of treason, saying that such declaration has no place in the constitution.
Gamji noted that the situation in the country is that several groups have been agitating for restructuring to accommodate fiscal federalism, resource control, equitable access to public offices among others and not the eviction of other ethnic group.
He noted that, “this clamour cuts across ethnicity and all the geopolitical zones. It is unfortunate that this genuine agitation has been hijacked by a ferocious minority in the south-east or Igboland. These are the people presenting as IPOB and MASSOB, the ones that insult other ethnic nationals on a daily basis and are pushing for the balkanization of Nigeria. They are mean to the extent that they deprived the poor population of their daily incomes with the sit-at-home order they usually impose in the south-east region.
“The ultimatum and directives of ” The Kaduna Declaration” are as perverted as the wrong impression being given by secessionists that they enjoy widespread support. The declaration does not reflect the sentiments of the north or the northerners who as Nigerians are receptive to all ethnicities.
“We therefore strongly condemn the wrong impression being created to the effect that the north is at war with Igbos to warrant serving them quit notice. The north is not at war with any part of Nigeria as the region truly believes in the strength of a united Nigeria. We are not only happy to live with the Igbos but we are eagerly available to do business with them and everyone else that believes in one Nigeria,” Gamji in the statement.
He noted that those issuing the statement just like the IPOB/MASSOB merchants are the true enemies of Nigeria.
While calling on all well meaning northern leaders to dissociate themselves from this meaningless call, coalition said the groups that took part in the briefing should be blacklisted and ostracized in anyway possible as they must not be provided the platform to further spread hatred.
