Quit notice: Nigerian students vow to occupy Kaduna from Sept 30

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), yesterday,
said it would mobilise over 5,000 students and 60 affiliate
associations across the country to occupy Kaduna State from
September 30 to October 3.

National President of NANS, Aruna Kadiri, who disclosed this at
a press conference at Enugu said the decision of the Nigerian
students was to counter the June 16 quit notice given to the Igbo
living in the North by some Arewa youth groups.

At the conference tagged: “On the unity of Nigeria we stand,”
held under tight security, the students said they have the capacity
to douse the Arewa youths order, pointing out that there was no
group in the country, including the Arewa and Biafra groups, in
which students were not members.

“Concerning the June 16, 2017 so-called Kaduna Declaration, NANS
wishes to assure all Nigerians living anywhere in Nigeria that
there should be no reason to fear or panic. Whereas, we are on the
alert and ready to protect the Nigerian state, we call on the
security agencies to do their work effectively and to justify the
huge tax that Nigerians pay for security votes.

“It is to this effect that NANS shall be occupying the great
city of Kaduna on a peace and unity rally starting from September
30 to October 3, 2017, as part of our efforts to demonstrate the
oneness of Nigeria. The peace and unity rally is to reassure people
in the North and, indeed, the country, that the country is united.
And it is our intention to occupy the psyche of the country with
our message of peace and unity,” Kadiri declared.

The NANS president disclosed that they would be heading for
Abuja from Enugu where they would engage the Inspector General of
Police, the Directors General of the Department of State Services,
Civil Defence and the Chief of Army Staff to fashion out modalities
on how to provide security for the students that would go to
Kaduna.

“While we are doing this, we need to call on the Federal
Government to immediately engage all stakeholders to begin to find
a lasting solution to these issues and douse the tension in the
country, in between all these agitations, there must be a solution
which will keep Nigeria united, just and equitable. This is the
stance of NANS. We must begin to engage.

“It is very urgent because we are already in a State of
Emergency where youth corps members look for the nearest
opportunity to redeploy on security grounds, thereby defeating the
nationalist idea of NYSC, and plunging the nation into national
panic. Hence, we say, the Nigerian house must not crumble. The
signs are ominous and all progressive Nigerians must join in the
fight for a united and equitable Nigeria,” he said.

He recalled that part of the first challenge that confronted the
Nigerian state on security issues was in 1962 over the
Nigerian-Anglo Defence Pact, saying that it was only the Nigerian
students that had the courage to reject and subsequently shot it
down.

“Today, we have resolved vehemently and consciously to address
the nation and traditionally give them direction,” he said.

He said students’ leadership was in Enugu to begin the process
of practically rising to the occasion, saying that, “things are
falling apart as far as the unity of the country is concerned and
it appears that other stakeholders are still in deep slumber.

“There is an obvious state of emergency and it seems we are not
even aware. But NANS shall not stand and watch this great edifice
crumble due to our collective indiscretion.

“The choice of Enugu for this press conference is very
significant and we consider this occasion epochal. Among the issues
threatening to tear the country apart is the agitation of the
Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), a group of some Igbo people.
So, in coming to Enugu, it is to identify with the people of Igbo
land and share in their concerns. But while doing that, we must
remain united.”

Arewa youth groups under the aegis of Coalition of Northern
Youths (CNY) rose from a meeting on June 6, in Kaduna and gave the
South-Easterners an October 1 ultimatum to leave the northern
region.

Their order was premised on the shut-down of major towns in the
South-east on May 30, by members of the Indigenous Peoples of
Biafra (IPOB).

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), yesterday,
said it would mobilise over 5,000 students and 60 affiliate
associations across the country to occupy Kaduna State from
September 30 to October 3.

National President of NANS, Aruna Kadiri, who disclosed this at
a press conference at Enugu said the decision of the Nigerian
students was to counter the June 16 quit notice given to the Igbo
living in the North by some Arewa youth groups.

At the conference tagged: “On the unity of Nigeria we stand,”
held under tight security, the students said they have the capacity
to douse the Arewa youths order, pointing out that there was no
group in the country, including the Arewa and Biafra groups, in
which students were not members.

“Concerning the June 16, 2017 so-called Kaduna Declaration, NANS
wishes to assure all Nigerians living anywhere in Nigeria that
there should be no reason to fear or panic. Whereas, we are on the
alert and ready to protect the Nigerian state, we call on the
security agencies to do their work effectively and to justify the
huge tax that Nigerians pay for security votes.

“It is to this effect that NANS shall be occupying the great
city of Kaduna on a peace and unity rally starting from September
30 to October 3, 2017, as part of our efforts to demonstrate the
oneness of Nigeria. The peace and unity rally is to reassure people
in the North and, indeed, the country, that the country is united.
And it is our intention to occupy the psyche of the country with
our message of peace and unity,” Kadiri declared.

The NANS president disclosed that they would be heading for
Abuja from Enugu where they would engage the Inspector General of
Police, the Directors General of the Department of State Services,
Civil Defence and the Chief of Army Staff to fashion out modalities
on how to provide security for the students that would go to
Kaduna.

“While we are doing this, we need to call on the Federal
Government to immediately engage all stakeholders to begin to find
a lasting solution to these issues and douse the tension in the
country, in between all these agitations, there must be a solution
which will keep Nigeria united, just and equitable. This is the
stance of NANS. We must begin to engage.

“It is very urgent because we are already in a State of
Emergency where youth corps members look for the nearest
opportunity to redeploy on security grounds, thereby defeating the
nationalist idea of NYSC, and plunging the nation into national
panic. Hence, we say, the Nigerian house must not crumble. The
signs are ominous and all progressive Nigerians must join in the
fight for a united and equitable Nigeria,” he said.

He recalled that part of the first challenge that confronted the
Nigerian state on security issues was in 1962 over the
Nigerian-Anglo Defence Pact, saying that it was only the Nigerian
students that had the courage to reject and subsequently shot it
down.

“Today, we have resolved vehemently and consciously to address
the nation and traditionally give them direction,” he said.

He said students’ leadership was in Enugu to begin the process
of practically rising to the occasion, saying that, “things are
falling apart as far as the unity of the country is concerned and
it appears that other stakeholders are still in deep slumber.

“There is an obvious state of emergency and it seems we are not
even aware. But NANS shall not stand and watch this great edifice
crumble due to our collective indiscretion.

“The choice of Enugu for this press conference is very
significant and we consider this occasion epochal. Among the issues
threatening to tear the country apart is the agitation of the
Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), a group of some Igbo people.
So, in coming to Enugu, it is to identify with the people of Igbo
land and share in their concerns. But while doing that, we must
remain united.”

Arewa youth groups under the aegis of Coalition of Northern
Youths (CNY) rose from a meeting on June 6, in Kaduna and gave the
South-Easterners an October 1 ultimatum to leave the northern
region.

Their order was premised on the shut-down of major towns in the
South-east on May 30, by members of the Indigenous Peoples of
Biafra (IPOB).