BEVERLY HILLS, June 12, (THEWILL) – Second Republic lawmaker, Junaid Muhammad, has condemned the seeming silence of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo in the face of raging drumbeats of war by regional groups handing eviction notice to persons from different ethnic stock in the country.
A coalition of northern youth groups had last Tuesday asked Igbos to vacate the nineteen states of the North in the next three months failure of which there would be consequences. They also called on northerners residing in the South-East to return.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed had responded to the development by saying there was nothing new about the threat but assured that security agents are on top of the situation.
But contributing to a public lecture organised by the Mumbayya House, Kano with a theme, “Electoral Democracy and Integrity in Nigeria, Reflections on INEC Transformation 2011-2015, Junaid stated that lack of sincerity on the part of the government is making obvious the divisive tendencies.
His words, “I must make it clear that lack of brutal frankness on the part of government, when it comes to national issues, appeared to be fuelling these drumbeats of war.
“Various ethnic groups and individuals have been making remarks capable of breaking the unity of Nigeria but I haven’t heard the government as the epitome of statehood calling people to order.”
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, has advised Igbo politicians still in the All Progressives Congress, APC, to defect to APGA, “which symbolises the late Biafra war lord, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu”.
It held that since Arewa youths have rejected Igbo in their territory, Ndigbo should automatically dissociate themselves from the ruling party which they believe is controlled by Hausa.
This was the resolve at a Town Hall meeting in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra state where the national coordinator of Stakeholders for Willie Obiano for second term, Chief Ekene Enefe pointed out that since APGA is seen as an Igbo party, the best bet would be for Igbo to rally round the party “as our own”.
