… North loves Igbos more than no other
tribe
Renowned statesman and Chairman, Northern Elders Forum, Prof.
Ango Abdullahi says his organization will work with the Oil and
Solid Mineral Producing Communities Landlord Association of
|Nigeria, OMPALAN to build bridges across the country and
strengthen corporate governance.
Prof. Abdullahi made the position known Tuesday during a meeting
with OMPALAN leadership led by, Bishop Udo Azogu and other
executive members of the group in Zaria.
The meeting which was convened by OMPALAN was aimed at dousing
the rising tension in the country and to foster a cordial
relationship among all ethnic nationalities and to pursue good
corporate governance in the country.
Prof. Abdullahi, a former Vice Chancellor of Amadu Bello
University, Zaria, while welcoming the OMPALAN proposal on peace
building, said his decision to back the Arewa Youths on the quick
notice issued to Igbos was borne out of accumulated feeling of
betrayal of the South Easterners and particularly their political
leaders, who failed to caution Nnamdi Kanu and other Biafra
agitators but instead gave them full support in their struggle.
The Elder statesman, said he was particularly worried that
notable political leaders in the South East like Dr. Elex Ekwueme,
Emeka Anyaoku, Jim Nwobodo and Mbazulike Amechi among others failed
to speak out when the ovation was high but kept mute while the new
Biafra agitation spread like wide fire and raged on.
He said he was baffled when people started condemning him for
making his own support to Arewa Youths open unlike other Northern
leaders who pretended about it.
According to him, the North and Eastern Nigeria had come a long
way in terms of building political bridges starting from the first
republic when Dr. Nnamdi Zik conceded the position of Prime
Minister to Tafawa Balewa and in second republic when Dr. Alex
Ekwueme was supported by the North to become Vice President to
Shehu Shagari, a relationship, he said the North had always wanted
to resuscitate despite the setbacks it suffered from the three
years civil war.
He also revealed that part of their grouse against the Igbo was
their failure to appreciate the love shown to them by the North
after the civil war by returning all their abandoned properties
back to them in addition to rents collected on their behalf by
various caretakers assigned to supervise the affected properties, a
favour they (Igbo) could not get from their South South neighbours
who confiscated their properties in Port Harcourt and other South
South cities.
According to him, the Igbo should reciprocate the gesture of the
North by supporting them politically rather than turning their back
against them.
He cited two instances where Igbo showed total rejection of the
North when President Mohammadu Buhari chose late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo
and Edwin Umezeoke in 2007 and 2011 as a running mates but were
rejected by the Igbos, which led them to switch over to South West
in 2015.
Earlier in his opening address, Bishop Azogu said the mission of
OMPALAN was to unravel root causes of the rising cases of
agitations and hate speeches which had raised tension in the polity
and to seek possible means of addressing them.
He said OMPALAN saw the various agitations across the country as
a manifestation of failure of leadership by the political class and
had decided to work with all ethnic nationalities in the country,
including the Northern Elders Forum to save the country from going
into precipies.
He informed his host that the proponents of the preset Biafra
agitation do not enjoy the support of most Igbo and hence the need
to refocus their anger on the political class rather than the
innocent and poor Igbos.
Azogu, who lampooned the South Eastern political class for not
taking a common position to condemn the new Biafra struggle ab
initio, blamed Prof. Abdullahi for supporting the action of the
Arewa Youths Coalition.
According to him, such support amount to making a blanket
condemnation of the entire Igbo race and urged him to retract his
earlier statement.
At the end of the meeting, both parties agreed that: the various
crisis across Nigeria were as a result of leadership failure; that
the bond of unity in Nigeria is stronger than divisive forces; that
the North loves the Igbos which was exemplified by restitution of
all properties belonging to Igbos in the North after the civil war;
that OMPALAN and Northern Elders Forum would set up a joint peace
committee to douse tension generated by hate speeches and
secessionist rhetorics; that there is not enough evidence on ground
to justify trillions of naira disbursed through robust palliative
programs to Oil Producing states of Nigeria.
The meeting also agreed that: Oil is a national issue and that
due recognition should be given to impacted areas; that Nigeria has
been stagnated for over 60 years by corruption and bad governance;
that the teeming helpless Igbo people cannot be made to pay for the
ineptitude of the region’s political leadership and isolated
secessionist rhetorics; that Nigeria to remains as one united and
indivisible country where all law-abiding citizens can live and do
business in any part of the country without fear of molestation or
intimidation; that the quit notice to Igbo’s living in the north to
serve as clarion call to the nation’s leaders; that there should be
tolerance, accommodation and forgiveness amongst Nigerians.
The meeting further listed Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs,
MNDA; Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC; Oil Derivation Fund
Commission and Federal Government Amnesty Program as some of the
palliative programs established by government to cushion the harsh
environmental impact on oil producing states:
Speaking further to Vanguard Newspaper at the end of the
meeting, Bishop Azogu said Nigerians are entitled to know the
health status of their President.
He said Buhari is not the President of APC or any special group
but, the elected President of Nigeria with mandate to steer the
ship of State in consonance with the provisions of the nation’s
constitution.
According to him, keeping Buhari’s health status secret for a
long time is insulting the sensibilities of Nigerians.
‘‘It’s like saying it’s no body’s business. But, Nigerians will
not be silent for a long time.
The Governors and other political leaders of the South East have
failed the region. They’re unfit to represent the region. This is
why some people cashed in on the vacuum created by the rudderless
leadership of the region to demand for secession. Nobody should be
fooled anymore.
He said the South East requires a new crop of leadership that
can read political barometers accurately and work proactively to
protect the interest of the region.
He described Prof Ango Abdullahi as an honest and sincere leader
who simply raised alarm to save the country from blood bath and
disintegration.
‘‘Other aggrieved leaders in the North saw the country on a
dangerous collision course with anarchy and kept mute. Ango
Abdullahi’s timely statement was not intended to incite lawlessness
but, a clarion call to all Nigerians of all climes to work
collaboratively and defend the unity of the Country,’’ he said.
… North loves Igbos more than no other
tribe
Renowned statesman and Chairman, Northern Elders Forum, Prof.
Ango Abdullahi says his organization will work with the Oil and
Solid Mineral Producing Communities Landlord Association of
|Nigeria, OMPALAN to build bridges across the country and
strengthen corporate governance.
Prof. Abdullahi made the position known Tuesday during a meeting
with OMPALAN leadership led by, Bishop Udo Azogu and other
executive members of the group in Zaria.
The meeting which was convened by OMPALAN was aimed at dousing
the rising tension in the country and to foster a cordial
relationship among all ethnic nationalities and to pursue good
corporate governance in the country.
Prof. Abdullahi, a former Vice Chancellor of Amadu Bello
University, Zaria, while welcoming the OMPALAN proposal on peace
building, said his decision to back the Arewa Youths on the quick
notice issued to Igbos was borne out of accumulated feeling of
betrayal of the South Easterners and particularly their political
leaders, who failed to caution Nnamdi Kanu and other Biafra
agitators but instead gave them full support in their struggle.
The Elder statesman, said he was particularly worried that
notable political leaders in the South East like Dr. Elex Ekwueme,
Emeka Anyaoku, Jim Nwobodo and Mbazulike Amechi among others failed
to speak out when the ovation was high but kept mute while the new
Biafra agitation spread like wide fire and raged on.
He said he was baffled when people started condemning him for
making his own support to Arewa Youths open unlike other Northern
leaders who pretended about it.
According to him, the North and Eastern Nigeria had come a long
way in terms of building political bridges starting from the first
republic when Dr. Nnamdi Zik conceded the position of Prime
Minister to Tafawa Balewa and in second republic when Dr. Alex
Ekwueme was supported by the North to become Vice President to
Shehu Shagari, a relationship, he said the North had always wanted
to resuscitate despite the setbacks it suffered from the three
years civil war.
He also revealed that part of their grouse against the Igbo was
their failure to appreciate the love shown to them by the North
after the civil war by returning all their abandoned properties
back to them in addition to rents collected on their behalf by
various caretakers assigned to supervise the affected properties, a
favour they (Igbo) could not get from their South South neighbours
who confiscated their properties in Port Harcourt and other South
South cities.
According to him, the Igbo should reciprocate the gesture of the
North by supporting them politically rather than turning their back
against them.
He cited two instances where Igbo showed total rejection of the
North when President Mohammadu Buhari chose late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo
and Edwin Umezeoke in 2007 and 2011 as a running mates but were
rejected by the Igbos, which led them to switch over to South West
in 2015.
Earlier in his opening address, Bishop Azogu said the mission of
OMPALAN was to unravel root causes of the rising cases of
agitations and hate speeches which had raised tension in the polity
and to seek possible means of addressing them.
He said OMPALAN saw the various agitations across the country as
a manifestation of failure of leadership by the political class and
had decided to work with all ethnic nationalities in the country,
including the Northern Elders Forum to save the country from going
into precipies.
He informed his host that the proponents of the preset Biafra
agitation do not enjoy the support of most Igbo and hence the need
to refocus their anger on the political class rather than the
innocent and poor Igbos.
Azogu, who lampooned the South Eastern political class for not
taking a common position to condemn the new Biafra struggle ab
initio, blamed Prof. Abdullahi for supporting the action of the
Arewa Youths Coalition.
According to him, such support amount to making a blanket
condemnation of the entire Igbo race and urged him to retract his
earlier statement.
At the end of the meeting, both parties agreed that: the various
crisis across Nigeria were as a result of leadership failure; that
the bond of unity in Nigeria is stronger than divisive forces; that
the North loves the Igbos which was exemplified by restitution of
all properties belonging to Igbos in the North after the civil war;
that OMPALAN and Northern Elders Forum would set up a joint peace
committee to douse tension generated by hate speeches and
secessionist rhetorics; that there is not enough evidence on ground
to justify trillions of naira disbursed through robust palliative
programs to Oil Producing states of Nigeria.
The meeting also agreed that: Oil is a national issue and that
due recognition should be given to impacted areas; that Nigeria has
been stagnated for over 60 years by corruption and bad governance;
that the teeming helpless Igbo people cannot be made to pay for the
ineptitude of the region’s political leadership and isolated
secessionist rhetorics; that Nigeria to remains as one united and
indivisible country where all law-abiding citizens can live and do
business in any part of the country without fear of molestation or
intimidation; that the quit notice to Igbo’s living in the north to
serve as clarion call to the nation’s leaders; that there should be
tolerance, accommodation and forgiveness amongst Nigerians.
The meeting further listed Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs,
MNDA; Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC; Oil Derivation Fund
Commission and Federal Government Amnesty Program as some of the
palliative programs established by government to cushion the harsh
environmental impact on oil producing states:
Speaking further to Vanguard Newspaper at the end of the
meeting, Bishop Azogu said Nigerians are entitled to know the
health status of their President.
He said Buhari is not the President of APC or any special group
but, the elected President of Nigeria with mandate to steer the
ship of State in consonance with the provisions of the nation’s
constitution.
According to him, keeping Buhari’s health status secret for a
long time is insulting the sensibilities of Nigerians.
‘‘It’s like saying it’s no body’s business. But, Nigerians will
not be silent for a long time.
The Governors and other political leaders of the South East have
failed the region. They’re unfit to represent the region. This is
why some people cashed in on the vacuum created by the rudderless
leadership of the region to demand for secession. Nobody should be
fooled anymore.
He said the South East requires a new crop of leadership that
can read political barometers accurately and work proactively to
protect the interest of the region.
He described Prof Ango Abdullahi as an honest and sincere leader
who simply raised alarm to save the country from blood bath and
disintegration.
‘‘Other aggrieved leaders in the North saw the country on a
dangerous collision course with anarchy and kept mute. Ango
Abdullahi’s timely statement was not intended to incite lawlessness
but, a clarion call to all Nigerians of all climes to work
collaboratively and defend the unity of the Country,’’ he said.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/igbo-quit-notice-why-i-backed-arewa-youths-prof-ango-abdullahi/