OGHENENYERHOVWO TEJIRI
The 90 day quit notice handed down by Arewa youths to Igbos living in the North has been described as reckless, unAfrican, cruel, hostile as well as inimical to the continued corporate existence of Nigeria just as Urhobos and other southerners resident in the North have been called upon to act proactively to avoid being taken unawares.
This was disclosed by Urhobo Strategic Interest Group (U.S.I.G) in a statement signed by it’s Co-ordinator, Mr. Joseph Abinogun, the group further described the quit order as unaccommodating Kaduna Declaration laid to the very roots of the Nigerian superstructure.
The group lamented that within a short period the quit notice was given, it’s ominous ripples has shaken the entire nation’s polity to it’s foundation with its’ effect even felt outside the shores of Nigeria..
According to Mr. Abinogun, “I am using this opportunity to call on all Urhobo sons and daughters living and doing business in the the North to regard the quit order handed the Igbos as a forewarning not only to the the Igbos but also to the generality of the accommodating and peace loving multi-ethic Southern and Niger Delta people.”
The group added, “on a critical evaluation of the unfortunate development, there is a clear and present danger to Southerners generally irrespective of what part of the South they hailed from, after all, there will be no time for the bellicose Arewa youths to identify or differentiate between an Edo or Itsekiri or Urhobo man and an Igbo man when they eventually go berserk if this scenario is not urgently nipped in the bud.”
Mr. Abinogun berated Alhaji Ango Abdullahi, a Northern elder and some of his co-travelers who are supporting the youths in their stance of beating the drums of war.
He spoke further, “the most worrisome part is the jaundiced posturing of some Northern elders whose repulsive comments can best be viewed as tacit approval of the position of their youths. What could be more provocative than the statement credited to Prof. Ango Abdullahi. In retrospect, the genocidal threat is a stark reminder of what led to the 1966 ethnic cleansing in which thousands of Igbos and Southerners were murdered in cold blood and this led to the declaration of Biafra Republic by then Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Odimegu Ojukwu of blessed memory.”
Speaking further, Mr. Abinogun called on leaders and government of Southern states to help make adequate preparations as well as put logistics in place to help resettle their people as consequences of further delay could be costly, he added, “I implore Southerners to start making proactive move away from the North now to avoid being caught in a web of confusion or emergency later. Southerners must not allow the ugly part of history to repeat itself.”
