Politics
LEADERS of Southern Nigeria held an emergency meeting in Lagos, on Sunday, June 18, where they urged the federal government to take urgent steps against the ultimatum given to Igbo to vacate the north as any attack on any easterner would be considered as an attack on all.
At the meeting by Ohanaeze and Afenifere, Igbo and Yoruba socio-cultural organisations, and the South-South, the groups condemned the government for handling the matter as if it were a crisis between the North and the South-East alone.
They said the quit notices indicated mutual distrust among the ethnic groups. This, they said could be effectively stopped by the government resolving the fundamental issues of alleged injustice and marginalisation in the polity.
In a statement signed by Ayo Adebanjo, who led Afenifere; Ebittu Ukiwe, a retired commodore and former chief of General Staff, who led Ohanaeze; and Albert Horsefal, who led the South-South, the groups posited that the Igbo leaders should stop negotiating with the Federal Government alone on the issue of the northern youths ultimatum.
The southern leaders said they decided to come together in the interest of peace, equity, social justice and political tolerance. While reading the communiqué, Yinka Odumakin, national publicity secretary of Afenifere, Bassey Henshaw and Okey Anaegbwu noted that the failure of the federal government to arrest the brains behind the unwarranted ultimatum gave an impression of impending doom and the only way to avert such, not only now but in future, is to restructure the country to achieve true federalism.
The groups called on the government to live up to its responsibilities by condemning the activities of the Hausa, Fulani herdsmen, who are invading the entire south. They also insisted on restructuring the country based on the principle of its founding fathers.
The leaders urged the government to implement the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference as every necessary decision that could make Nigeria a better federation is contained in the report.
Others present at the meeting include Mike Uwaka; Nina Nwodo, president general of Ohanaeze; Supo Sonibare of Afenifere; Walter Ofonagoro, a former minister of Information; George Obiozor, a former DG, Nigeria Institute of international Affairs; Goddy Uwazurike; Abdulaziz Ude; Tony Uranta and Joe Irukwu
— Jun 19, 2017 @ 10:20 GMT
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