Northern youths withdraw Igbo quit notice …How we brokered peace, by Gov Shettima
Agroup of 14 Northern youth organisations under the auspices of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) yesterday in Abuja conditionally withdrew their ‘Igbo Quit notice.’
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (ACYF) on June 7 issued October 1 ultimatum for all Igbo in the 19 northern states to vacate the region.
But the youths at a press conference attended by Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, a former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and later of Environment Alhaji Sani Zangon Daura, and a former Governor of Kano Senator Kabiru Gaya among other leaders, said they were withdrawing their declaration in the interest of peace, national development and the intervention of leaders across the country.
The meeting was equally attended by Igbo leaders especially those living in the North, led by the President of the Igbo Delegate Association (IDA) in 19 northern states and the FCT, Chief Chi Nworgu and a popular Nollywood actor Keneth Okonkwo, among others. Spokesman of the coalition Abdul-Azeez Suleiman who read the withdrawal notice, said the initial declaration was due to the belligerence of the Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
He said the abusive and confrontational ideology of IPOB left them with no option than to come together and form the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) to begin charting a new future for Northern Nigeria.
He said that the decision was also due to “the silent endorsement of IPOB by virtually all the Igbo leaders nationwide with their open embrace of Kanu and his brand of agitation”.
He said their rethinking was due to intense persuasive pressure from concerned national, political, traditional, religious and cultural leaders, prominent among them being members of the Northern Governors Forum under its Chairman, Governor Kashim Shettima, northern traditional rulers and the Directorate of State Security (DSS).
“We also had several fruitful interactions with various concerned individuals and groups. Most significant was our correspondence with the then Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and most recently our interface with the Presidency through the Special Assistant to the President on Political Matters,” he said.
Speaking on their terms for the effectiveness of the withdrawal, Suleiman said the Federal Government should support the Igbo to hold a referendum to decide their future either as Nigerians or as Biafrans because “the the population of the Igbo that supports Biafra seems larger than the few who appear to be against it.”
He said his group was insisting on immediate arrest of Nnamdi Kanu and for his appropriate prosecution while calling on the Nigerian Senate to demand that all Senators who stood surety for him in court rescind their bond.”
Governor Kashim Shettima who spoke afterwards, overruled the youths, saying those supporting the violent agitation of IPOB were the vocal few and that majority of Igbo believed in one united Nigeria.
He said that the governors of the 19 northern states intervened to ensure the withdrawal of the quit notice to avoid crisis, that the IPOB leader was acting out of immaturity.