The Arewa Youths
Coalition has said it would withdraw the quit order it gave to Ndigbo to
vacate all northern states before October 1st.
The northern group’s spokesperson, Abdulaziz Suleiman, said they would
withdraw the statement this week.
The group waved the olive branch to Ndigbo after it had a meeting with
the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima in Abuja on Sunday.
Governor shettima who confirmed the development however warned that the
Arewa Youths group should not be criminalized as such would be
counter-productive.
Moreover, according to Suleiman, “What we can say is that there has been
a major development. Now the chairman of the Governors’ Forum has taken
the initiative and invited us to start negotiations. This is the first
time we are meeting publicly with any leader and we believe that it is a
major step forward in our ongoing consultations.
“We hold the governor in high esteem and we have the unity of the
country at heart”.
“You see, I wonder why you talk about quit notice. We only issued a
Kaduna declaration, quit notice is just a part of it. Let us do the
recounting of the successes of our declarations first. We are sill going
on with our consultations”.
Confirming Arewa Youths’ decision to withdraw the order, Governor
Shettima said, “We met with the leadership of the coalition of Northern
Groups in my capacity as the chairman of the Northern Governors Froum.
“We had very fruitful discussion with them and they have shown a lot of
courtesy and respect for the establishment. This is the first time that
they are sitting down with the leadership of the forum.
“They were having interactions with His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto. I
started conversations with them right from Kaduna yesterday and we
continued the discussion today and by the grace of God, it is going to
yield fruits.
“We are trying to have understanding of the challenges confronting us as
a people and solutions to those challenges. I have to commend them for
honouring our invitation because a political problem needs a political
solution”.
Shettima cautioned against criminalising the group, adding that
harassing and intimidating them would not bring solution to the nation’s
challenges.
“They have agreed to revisit their decision and we will follow it up to
its logical conclusion and I believe that in the next couple of days, we
are going to get the good news from them.
“I don’t want to preempt them by saying that this is what will happen or
not. But definitely, they have shown responsibility and commitment to
the national cause and they have wider plans to promote the cause of
national unity and cohesion.
“It was a very open, free and frank discussion, we heard their
reservations and I gave them my reasons and believe me, by the time they
hold their meeting this week, I think Nigerians will heave a sigh of
relief.
“I wish to call on the leadership of our brethren in the South Eastern
part of the country to equally pick the gauntlet, because it takes two
to tango, to take the gauntlet and rein in the excesses of Nnamdi Kanu
and his group”.
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