Matawalle Warns against Attacks on Northerners

*Says Southerners should not expect protection if killing of
Northerners continues in South

Zamfara State Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle yesterday warned
that the North might retaliate attacks on northerners in the
south.

He urged Southern leaders to stop the attacks to prevent the
extreme situation of North’s reprisal.

Matawalle spoke through a statement he personally signed on a
day the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) warned leaders against
utterances that inflame political, religious and ethnic passion in
the country.

He said northerners’ lives, dignity and possessions are being
threatened by the increasingly “unfriendly South”.

Matawalle said: “Recent happenings in the country have made it
expedient for me, as a political leader and a proud Northerner, to
issue this important statement.

“This is not the time to play politics or to play to the
gallery, but a time to tell ourselves the real truth, for the
benefit of peace and progress of our country, and to prevent the
looming anarchy that some disgruntled, unpatriotic Nigerians want
to drag the nation into.

”Considering the manner we play politics in Nigeria–politics
without conscience–the public may expect a statement like this to
come from a governor or a leader of the APC, but I choose to make
the following statement even as I remain a proud member of the
opposition PDP, for the sake of our nation; for peace to reign and
in the overall interest of the North.

“Despite what Northerners are experiencing today in many parts
of the South-West and South-East in particular, all we hear is the
conspiracy of silence from Northern leaders and elites who are
supposed to stand firm, in the manner in which other leaders of the
South are doing even when they know that their people are at fault.
This must not continue.”

Matawalle threatened reprisals from Northerners if they
continued to be assaulted in the South.

He added: “As northern leaders, our dignified silence in the
face of constant provocation and assault, because of our desire for
peace, must not be taken as a sign of weakness.

“Indeed no community, or region has the monopoly of
violence.

“ If Northerners and their means of livelihood will not be
protected, accommodated and be dignified anywhere they choose to
stay in any part of the South, Southerners should not expect
protection from the North as the North has more than what it takes
to respond to any kind of aggression and hatred. “

He said there was no justice for Northerners after the recent
clash with some Yoruba traders in Shasha in Ibadan, Oyo State.

“We have seen the destruction, the killings and the devastation
recently at Sasha Market against Northerners and their economic
interests.

“Properties worth billions of Naira were lost in addition to
human lives, yet some leaders in the South-West are downplaying the
atrocities committed or, worst still, justifying it.

“Some of them have shamefully gone to the extent of apportioning
blames on the victims and casualties of their aggression.”

He condemned alleged killing of Northerners in Imo State.

He said: “Last Sunday’s killingsm of innocent Northerners in Imo
is one too many and no matter how we love peace, leaders with
conscience and fear of God must speak out against this continued
barbarism and hatred.” “We will not take that any longer as no
human life is worthier than another.

“ No business interest is better than another. In fact, in
crisis situation, the South has more to lose in terms of its
business interests in the North and the strategic nature they
established themselves in the North than Northerners living in the
South.

“The North is very much aware of such weaknesses and
disadvantages the South is exposed to whenever there is such crisis
but we always choose the path of peace and cherish peace beyond any
act of lawlessness and hatred.

“Simple statistics on instances of unprovoked attacks against
Northerners and their economic interests in the South in recent
times can tell who is more tolerant, accommodating and peaceful
between criminal elements and their backers that are well known in
sponsoring such hatred and attacks against Northerners in the
South, and our own people.”

The governor said although those behind the assaults on
Northerners can be identified, the Federal Government had been
pandering to sentiments of sone Southern leaders by failing to take
action.

Hecsaid:” Sadly, we all can identify the thugs, the instigators
of such xenophobic attacks. They are very much known and
audacious.

“Nigeria is one. Whoever doesn’t want to believe in the current
constitution, which is so far the legal and legitimate instrument
behind our existence, should wait to challenge it through
established legal and legitimate means, or pack and leavd the
country. We will not tolerate any form of intimidation any
longer.

Governor Matawalle’s State, Zamfara, is buffeted by banditry.
The Federal Government recently impose a no-fly zone order on the
state among other measures to bring down banditry there.

He also faulted the protest agaibst President Muhammadu Buhari
in London.

“As a Northerner, I condemn in strongest term how in the same
manner of hatred, President Muhammadu Buhari was treated by
so-called protesters that could not hide their disdain and hatred
for the North.

“Their action, no matter their grievances, is uncivilized,
highly irresponsible, unpatriotic and disrespectful to the person
and office of the President and has demonstrated the growing hatred
against anything North.

“The real motive and agenda of the so-called protest is not for
Nigeria but to humiliate the President that is why the number of
the protesters, considering the large number of Nigerians living in
London, is so negligible as they could be easily counted.

“ For the North to survive and defend its interests, our leaders
must have the courage to always speak out against such aggression
and to protect Northern interests, the way our contemporaries in
the South often do, even when there is no justification to do
so.”

*Says Southerners should not expect protection if killing of
Northerners continues in South

Zamfara State Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle yesterday warned
that the North might retaliate attacks on northerners in the
south.

He urged Southern leaders to stop the attacks to prevent the
extreme situation of North’s reprisal.

Matawalle spoke through a statement he personally signed on a
day the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) warned leaders against
utterances that inflame political, religious and ethnic passion in
the country.

He said northerners’ lives, dignity and possessions are being
threatened by the increasingly “unfriendly South”.

Matawalle said: “Recent happenings in the country have made it
expedient for me, as a political leader and a proud Northerner, to
issue this important statement.

“This is not the time to play politics or to play to the
gallery, but a time to tell ourselves the real truth, for the
benefit of peace and progress of our country, and to prevent the
looming anarchy that some disgruntled, unpatriotic Nigerians want
to drag the nation into.

”Considering the manner we play politics in Nigeria–politics
without conscience–the public may expect a statement like this to
come from a governor or a leader of the APC, but I choose to make
the following statement even as I remain a proud member of the
opposition PDP, for the sake of our nation; for peace to reign and
in the overall interest of the North.

“Despite what Northerners are experiencing today in many parts
of the South-West and South-East in particular, all we hear is the
conspiracy of silence from Northern leaders and elites who are
supposed to stand firm, in the manner in which other leaders of the
South are doing even when they know that their people are at fault.
This must not continue.”

Matawalle threatened reprisals from Northerners if they
continued to be assaulted in the South.

He added: “As northern leaders, our dignified silence in the
face of constant provocation and assault, because of our desire for
peace, must not be taken as a sign of weakness.

“Indeed no community, or region has the monopoly of
violence.

“ If Northerners and their means of livelihood will not be
protected, accommodated and be dignified anywhere they choose to
stay in any part of the South, Southerners should not expect
protection from the North as the North has more than what it takes
to respond to any kind of aggression and hatred. “

He said there was no justice for Northerners after the recent
clash with some Yoruba traders in Shasha in Ibadan, Oyo State.

“We have seen the destruction, the killings and the devastation
recently at Sasha Market against Northerners and their economic
interests.

“Properties worth billions of Naira were lost in addition to
human lives, yet some leaders in the South-West are downplaying the
atrocities committed or, worst still, justifying it.

“Some of them have shamefully gone to the extent of apportioning
blames on the victims and casualties of their aggression.”

He condemned alleged killing of Northerners in Imo State.

He said: “Last Sunday’s killingsm of innocent Northerners in Imo
is one too many and no matter how we love peace, leaders with
conscience and fear of God must speak out against this continued
barbarism and hatred.” “We will not take that any longer as no
human life is worthier than another.

“ No business interest is better than another. In fact, in
crisis situation, the South has more to lose in terms of its
business interests in the North and the strategic nature they
established themselves in the North than Northerners living in the
South.

“The North is very much aware of such weaknesses and
disadvantages the South is exposed to whenever there is such crisis
but we always choose the path of peace and cherish peace beyond any
act of lawlessness and hatred.

“Simple statistics on instances of unprovoked attacks against
Northerners and their economic interests in the South in recent
times can tell who is more tolerant, accommodating and peaceful
between criminal elements and their backers that are well known in
sponsoring such hatred and attacks against Northerners in the
South, and our own people.”

The governor said although those behind the assaults on
Northerners can be identified, the Federal Government had been
pandering to sentiments of sone Southern leaders by failing to take
action.

Hecsaid:” Sadly, we all can identify the thugs, the instigators
of such xenophobic attacks. They are very much known and
audacious.

“Nigeria is one. Whoever doesn’t want to believe in the current
constitution, which is so far the legal and legitimate instrument
behind our existence, should wait to challenge it through
established legal and legitimate means, or pack and leavd the
country. We will not tolerate any form of intimidation any
longer.

Governor Matawalle’s State, Zamfara, is buffeted by banditry.
The Federal Government recently impose a no-fly zone order on the
state among other measures to bring down banditry there.

He also faulted the protest agaibst President Muhammadu Buhari
in London.

“As a Northerner, I condemn in strongest term how in the same
manner of hatred, President Muhammadu Buhari was treated by
so-called protesters that could not hide their disdain and hatred
for the North.

“Their action, no matter their grievances, is uncivilized,
highly irresponsible, unpatriotic and disrespectful to the person
and office of the President and has demonstrated the growing hatred
against anything North.

“The real motive and agenda of the so-called protest is not for
Nigeria but to humiliate the President that is why the number of
the protesters, considering the large number of Nigerians living in
London, is so negligible as they could be easily counted.

“ For the North to survive and defend its interests, our leaders
must have the courage to always speak out against such aggression
and to protect Northern interests, the way our contemporaries in
the South often do, even when there is no justification to do
so.”