Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello and his Niger State counterpart, Abubakar Sani Bello,on Friday assured Igbos in their respective states of their readiness to continue to protect their interests.
Yahaya Bello speaking through his director general on media and publicity, Kingsley Fanwo in Lokoja,said he was in support of Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, that Northern governors should protect Igbos in their states, even as he noted that Nigeria will continue to be a united entity.
He said, “As a nation, our strength has always been embedded in our unity in diversity. Nigeria is home to all and we must continue to see ourselves as brothers and sisters in a united nation.
Ethnic segregation is unacceptable to humanity and we must continue to wax stronger and unbroken as a nation. The God that created Nigeria is a God who believes in the strength of unity.
“The Kogi State government under the leadership of Alh. Yahaya Bello wishes to assure all Igbos that they are not only safe in the state, but that the administration will continue to consider Igbos resident in the state as partners in the New Direction Agenda of the government. Igbos should go about the legitimate businesses in the state as they continue to contribute to our economy as a state and a people.
“With the appointment of Igbos into strategic positions in Kogi State, we are making a strong case for social integration in Nigeria. Let me once more salute the courage and nationalism of the Kaduna State governor who has shown with his recent actions that Kaduna will remain the home of all nationalities”.
The Kogi governor also tasked Northern leaders to continue to defend the interests and safety of non-Northerners living in the North, insisting that unity is more of an action than word.
“As we strive to move out of the economic recession in Nigeria, bloodbaths would only compound the situation. We are the same before God and we should always play up the factors that unite us. We can only be strong when we are united”.
Governor Bello also called on Nigerians to intensify prayers for the full recovery of President Buhari, saying the health of the president is “quite reassuring and encouraging”.
He said the President is sacrificing a lot for the “greatness, prosperity and unity of Nigeria.
“President Buhari has sacrificed a lot to ensure we remain a respected nation in the comity of nations. Nigerians should pray for his full recovery as he is determined to tame corruption and drive the nation toward prosperity, responsibility and respectability”, he added.
On his part Niger State governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, dissociated the state from some Arewa youths who gave the Igbos in the North three-month ultimatum to leave the region, assuring that the government will protect the lives and properties of all Igbos residing in the state.
The commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Jonathan Vatsa, who stated the governor’s position yesterday at a press briefing in Minna warned youths in the state against unguided utterances and acts capable of threatening the existing cordial relationship among all ethnic groups in the country.
Vatsa who spoke after an extended security meeting said Niger State is home to all Nigerians without any primordial attachments of tribes and religion, adding that the state aligns with the position of the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) and the Arewa Consultative (ACF).
The commissioner stated that the state government will take every proactive measures to protect all residents from any form of aggression from ant quarter.
He stated, “Government recognizes the rights of all Nigerians to live and do business anywhere in the country. It suffices that the threat by the Northern youth was needless and condemnable., and we dissociate Niger state from such threat”.
According to him, the state was open to all to do business, which was why the state would not discriminate against non indigenes and have been appointing them into positions of authorities.
As proactive measures, he stated that security agencies in the state have been strengthened to check any act that could breach public peace and therefore urges Igbos to go about their normal business
Also, the South-east Governors Forum yesterday urged Igbos residing in the North to remain where they are and go about their normal activities without fear of being attacked.
The governors promised them of their security and safety despite the three-month ultimatum given to them to leave the region.
Chairman of the forum and governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi, who gave the assurance yesterday at a press briefing in Abakaliki commended the federal government and the Kaduna State government for condemning the call and the assurance of maximum security.
The reaction was coming on the heels of the three-month ultimatum issued by the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (ACYF), a coalition of youth groups in Northern Nigeria, to all Igbos in the 19 Northern states to vacate the region.
Governor Umahi who described the ultimatum as provocative and mischievous called on Northern leaders to take actions that will counteract the intended plot of the youths in other to ensure that the grim history of the past is not repeated.
He said, “We must call on all serious minded patriots, particularly the religious leadership in Northern Nigeria; the leadership of other socio-cultural groups in Northern Nigeria; the Nigerian Governors Forum; and all the service branches to rise up with voices of peace and wisdom to counteract the mischievousness and exuberant excesses of the northern youth.
“The ugly lessons of history are too grim to be stoked with carelessness. As leaders, we must exert the full measure of our powers and influence to forestall a repletion. We call on all Igbo sons and daughters resident in Nothern Nigeria to go about their lawful daily activities without fear of intimidation, hindrance or molestation”.
Umahi further reiterated the commitment of the South-east governors to “the existence of a virile, united prosperous and progressive federal republic of Nigeria where Justice, fairness, equity, mutual respect and equality of opportunity to all citizens regardless of creed, ethnicity or gender will reign supreme under the inflexible rule of law”.
The governor also denied media reports that the governors held a meeting yesterday night and resolved to send buses to evacuate Igbos in the north.
“The rumours being peddled on conventional and social media platforms
that we, the governors of the south east, have met and agreed to mobilize vehicles and cash for repatriation of Ndigbo resident in northern Nigeia must be disregarded, as they are nothing but tissues of lies.
“No amount of provocation would lead us to such precipitate and irresponsible action at this time. Those exploiting such vacuous tittle-tattle as a basis for decisive rhetoric in public spaces are simply playing juvenile politics and we urge them to cease and desist”.
additional report from leadership.ng
