* Meets
northern traditional rulers tomorrow
Acting
President Yemi Osinbajo has declared the renewed agitation from the
Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (POB) and the Arewa Youth Consultative Forumn (AYCF) among others as unlawful.
Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (POB) and the Arewa Youth Consultative Forumn (AYCF) among others as unlawful.
While IPOB
is demanding for the restoration of Biafra as a separate country, the AYCF
recently issued a three months ultimatum to Igbos resident in northern part of
the country to vacate the region.
The Acting
President who spoke at the session of a meeting with traditional rulers from
the South East led by Eze Dick Eberechi and some selected monarchs at the presidential
villa Abuja, yesterday declared that the unity of the country will never be
compromised for the interest of any selfish group.
“And the
reason why it is so is because for Nigeria’s unity enough blood has been
spilled and many hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost. Many have paid
for the unity of this country with their lives and it will be wrong of us as
men and women of goodwill in this generation to toy with those sacrifices that
have been made.”
He said all
forms of agitation by any group were unlawful, wrong and a direct violation of
Nigeria’s constitution.
“Those
agitations, the manner of those agitations, the method and objective are wrong,
unlawful and the violation of the laws of Nigeria and the constitution of
Nigeria.
“I want to
repeat that both the agitations for secession and the ultimatum to leave the
northern states are wrong and a violation of our constitution,” the acting
President stressed.
According to
him, Section Two of the 1999 Constitution clearly defines Nigeria as one
indivisible and indissoluble sovereign state.
While
assuring that the federal government was committed to ensuring that the country
remains united, the Acting President warned that henceforth “anyone who
violates the law in the manner such as we are seeing all over the place will be
met with the full force of law.”
Prof
Osinbajo also called on Nigerians to always jettison tendencies that only
reinforce further division amongst the different nationalities
“Men of
goodwill in our generation must not tolerate any tendency that drags us in the
direction of yet another civil conflict.
However, he
said there was a need to be sensitive to the reasons why there are agitations
by the various young men across the various zones of the country including what
he called “perceived marginalisation.”
“Many have
to do with perceived marginalisation, some have argued safety in the different
zones have been compromised. But I want to say the only way to make things
right is to do things right. And it will be wrong of us to approach even our
grievances by threatening to disobey the laws or by threatening the integrity
of our nation.
He noted,
“What the federal government is committed to do is by ensuring we listen to all
the reasons, the various suggestions and the various agitations and the reasons
for those agitations and to ensure that we do justice by all persons regardless
of where you are from in this country. That is the commitment of federal
government which I am able to make to you today.
“I recall
that President Muhammadu Buhari said that as a person who served in the Nigeria
Army committed his life to the service of this country and that he did so not
alone but with others from the north, south, west and east of Nigeria. And that
he fought side by side from the Congo to some many related places where he has
served the country, protecting each others lives and ensuring that all of them
were save.
“That, in
the Nigerian Army they were men and women from all parts of Nigeria and that is
the reason according to him, why he is so committed in ensuring that Nigeria
remains one united country
“Our
greatness lies in our being together and I believe very strongly that as our
royal fathers you will ensure the message is clear to all. That the greatness
of any people lies in their ability to work together despite our differences,
despite the types of offense that have been caused between each other, the
greatness of any community lies in our unity. We trust that you our royal
fathers will give us he right directional advise to ensure that our country
remains together.
Present
during the meeting in the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa included, Eze
Godwin Chijeoke, Igwe Julius Nnaji, Igwe Raphael Eze, Lawrence Ogubuzo, HRM
Samuel Agunwa, Igwe Apostle Kingsley Chime, Eze Cosmas Agwu, Eze Raphael
Ikegwuruka, HRM Olivel Ohanwe.
Also in
attendance during the closed door meeting were Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremamdu,
Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali, National Security Adviser (NSA), Major
General Babagana Mongunu (rtd), Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel
Olonisakin, Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, minister of State for
Education, Prof Anthony Anwuka and Minister of Science and technology,
Ogbonnaya Onu among others.
The Acting
President is scheduled to meet with northern traditional rulers today.
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