Igbo Quit Order: Biafra, Arewa Youths Ultimatum Wrong, Unlawful – Osinbajo

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Sunday declared that both the renewed agitation for the restoration of Biafra and the ultimatum issued to Igbos to leave the North are wrong and unlawful activities that deserve to be dealt with according to the country’s constitutional provisions.

Osinbajo said this at his opening remarks at the meeting with traditional rulers drawn from each senatorial district of the five Southeast states, led by Eze Udo 1 of Mgboko Ngwa Amaise in Abia State, Eze Eberechi Dick, who is also Chairman of Southeast traditional rulers.
The meeting was held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The parley was in continuation of his consultations with leaders of thought and traditional rulers from the North and Southeastern regions of the country, following the escalation of ethnic tensions occasioned by the agitation for Biafra and the vacation order issued by Northern youths for Igbo to quit the North.

In his opening remarks, Osinbajo said both groups were clearly violating the Nigerian Constitution, which insists on the sanctity of the unity of the country and the right of every citizen to reside in any part of the country he chooses.

He pointed out that apart from the legal indivisibility of the country, too many Nigerians have paid the supreme price for the continued unity of the country and so much blood shed to preserve the unity of the country.

Osinbajo stated that where there were grievances to be addressed, the only way to make anything right is by doing it right, instead of threatening to break the law or the country. He said the greatness of any community lies in its unity.

Osinbajo also explained that government considered the peculiar role of the traditional rulers in fixing a separate meeting for them.

He said, “In planning these meetings I was conscious that we should have a separate set of meetings with our traditional rulers because of the peculiar and the unique position that they hold especially in their relationship with those that live in their kingdoms. This was the reason why we chose to have two separate meetings one with the South East Traditional Rulers and tomorrow (Monday) evening I will be having one also with traditional rulers from the north.
“I want to emphasis that it is the unique position that traditional rulers occupy that is behind separate consultations and we want to take much advantage of it as much as possible.

“Most of us are aware especially for those who have been following the consultations, we have worked very hard to ensure that the representations cut across the two zones that we are interested in consulting with initially is as wide as possible and we have tried to inculcate that even in our traditional rulers today.

“As you are aware there has been agitation from some of our youths in the south east urging secession, the creation of Biafra. In apparent response young people in the north states, under the aegis of Arewa youths have purportedly issued an ultimatum where they have said set a date for the eviction of persons from south east region who live in the northern states.

“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.

“Our constitution says in Section Two that Nigeria is one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign state to be known by the name the federal republic of Nigeria.

“That is the law of our country. Let us not be in any doubt about the fact that the federal government is committed to ensuring that our country remains united.

“And that 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 the law.

“And the reason why it is so is because 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.

“This is why men of goodwill in our generation must not tolerate any tendency that drags us in the direction of yet another civil conflict.

“But we must be sensitive to the reasons why there are agitations by the various young men across the various zones of this country. Many have to do with perceived marginalization, 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 said.

He assured that government was committed to listening to reasons behind the various agitations and ensure justice for all.

“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 Nigerian Army he 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 other’s lives and ensuring that all of them were safe. 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.”

Those present were Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara; Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu; Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Bala Ibn Da-Allah; Chief of Defence staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonoshakin; Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris; National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babangana Mungonu (retd); Chief of Staff Abba Kyari, ministers, presidential aides among others.