Anxiety appears to be deepening as Northern Elders’ Forum on Friday expressed support for the call by the Coalition of Northern Youth Groups for Igbos to quit the region in three months. Also the forum has slammed the northern governors for disowning the Arewa Youths.
Former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University who is the NEF spokesperson, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, while speaking with reporters in Zaria, Kaduna State on Friday asserted that it hypocritical for the Igbos to continue to live in other parts of the country while agitating for Nigeria’s break up.
According to Abdullahi: “I am disappointed in the decision taken by Northern Governors’ Forum disowning and condemning the agitation by this young agile and progressive youth groups.
“Let me ask: these Northern governors, whom are they representing? Are they representing spirits, ghost or people of the North?
“Recently, people from eastern part of this country, specifically Igbo, were busy calling for the Sovereign State of Biafra and from all indication their leaders, including governors, are behind them.”
The elder’s spokesman added that anyone who thinks Nigeria “is not conducive for him” should quit, as he maintained that what the northern youth groups did was not a sin.
Also he decried the fact that none of the Northern governors reacted to the persistent call for the actualisation of Biafra and other agitations before now.
He noted that when Nnamdi Kanu was recently released on bail recently, more 100 vehicles escorted him to his residence, including big personalities from the South West and South East.
According to Abdullahi: “This is somebody who has been agitating for the breakup of Nigeria, but his people were behind him, therefore, I am behind the youths.
“This is because the Northern youths are pushed to the wall; we have been calming them down in any event similar to this.”
Addressing the Igbos, Abdullahi said the people from the south always pretended that northerners were cheating them.
He said: “These people always pretend that the North is cheating them, not minding the fact that Southern Nigeria was developed by resources from the North.
“Please, look for a book written by Adamu Fika, the Waziri of FiKa on Nigeria’s budget before and after independence.
“Each year, up to the time Nigeria gained its independence, none of the two regions was able to provide for itself.
“I mean none of the Western and Eastern regions had the money to effectively run the affairs of its region until they get financial support from the Northern region.”
He said Abduhhahi the tradition had remained unchanged during the colonial masters and nothing changed afterwards.
He insisted that it was the same money from the North that was used to construct Nigerian Railways, refineries and other facilities.
Abdullahi said: “First oil exploration was conducted using money from groundnut pyramid, cotton, hide and skin among other cash crops from Northern Nigeria.
“However, these people tend to forget all these goodies provided by the North toward ensuring the unity and corporate existence of Nigeria.
“They always look down on us, feeling that Northerners are parasites in this country” he concluded.
