.Foils nationwide protests by road transport unions
Niger State government has disassociated self from threats by 13 youth groups in the North on the platform of ‘Arewa Youths’ calling on all the Igbo living in any of the 19 northern states to leave while also asking their kinsmen in the Southern parts of the country to relocate to the north.
The state commissioner for Information, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, said, “Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa and any other tribe living in any part of the state are welcomed any time, any day and feel safe in parts of Niger State, a miniature Nigeria, God created us and has kept us together though tribes and tongue differs”.
He made the remark, while addressing journalists over fears by the Igbo and other southerners resident in Niger State.
He assured them of their safety and that of their businesses in view of the three months quit notice by the youth group.
“Though the chairman of the Northern Governor’s Forum has made official statement disassociating all the 19 northern state governments from the group’s declaration, Niger State because of its strategic position and the gateway to the FCT, Abuja still deemed it very necessary to reassure all citizenry of their safety and that of their properties anywhere in Niger State,” he said.
Vatsa said that it was unfortunate that the youths, who apparently do not know the implications of what they had done went wild delving into such sensitive issue which has created so much tension among the various segments of the Nigerian society.
“Arewa youths have no right to speak on the issue and they do not in any way represent the voice (s) of the entire 19 northern states hence we are advising all law-abiding citizens of the state to remain law-abiding without fear of any form of molestations”, the commissioner said.
The commissioner said, “We are one in Niger state irrespective of the fact that we came from different background. We have people from other parts of the country as part of this government and that goes a long way to demonstrate the oneness and unity of purpose being promoted at all levels by the All Progressive Congress (APC) government.
“Governor Bello is not happy with what is happening, he is not sleeping due to the tension created by the Arewa Youths Forum’s declaration in Kaduna a fourth night ago, giving all the Igbo living in any part of northern Nigeria three months to leave”, Vatsa said.
While urging all to go about their normal businesses, Vatsa described the youths as a group that is not just ill-informed but out for sinister motives, insisting that there are leaders who can speak when the need arises for the region and not a group of ill-informed with no links to the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) or Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF), which are expected to speak for the region when the need arises.
Meanwhile, the declaration by the Arewa youths in Kaduna state has created uneasy calm among traders, businessmen and women from the southern part of the country, particularly the Igbo in Minna, Niger state and its environs.
Issue about the Kaduna declaration and general political situation in Nigeria is being discussed in hush voices among the traders at major markets in Minna and environs when our correspondent visited areas dominated by the Igbo at the Minna central market and other markets within the metropolis.
The leader of Igbo people in Niger state, Eze Igbo Minna, Eze Pampas Wahiwe, could not be reached for comments on the Kaduna declaration as at the time of this report and his mobile telephone lines were switched off.
But some Igbo traders in reaction to the declaration in Kaduna, expressed reservations that the federal government unlike what happened to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, is treating the declaration by the Arewa youths which has created tension in parts of Nigeria with kid gloves.
“This amounts to treason and the federal government has not arrested those behind it then the government is not sincere. For them to be still walking free on Nigeria soil unmolested shows there are forces behind them”, one of the Igbo traders who would not want his names printed for security reasons said.
Meanwhile, the intervention of Niger State government on Thursday, June 8, 2017, saved the country from more troubles as it stopped the planned protest by major stakeholders in road transport business from grounding all activities across the country in protest against deplorable conditions of Nigerian roads.
Members of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Independent Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association of Nigeria (PTDAN) and National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) had planned to protest against collapsed bridge at Makera, Teggina, which has frustrated their efforts to transport goods and services to northern part of the country.
After the meeting between Niger State government and members of NARTO, NURTW, IPMAN, RTEAN and PTDAN at the Government House, Minna, the state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, said that the state decided to intervene to save the country from additional crisis.
According to Vatsa, “We had to intervene because we know what will happen if they go ahead with their protests. We as a government are however calling on the federal government to please as a matter of urgency affect repairs of all Trunk ‘A’ roads in Niger State.
“Niger State has the longest stretch of federal roads compared to any other state in Nigeria but the roads have today become death traps. There is diversion in Mokwa, Bida and Minna road because of the bad portion of Bokani road and that has made our roads becoming overstressed”.
According to Vatsa, “If it is about support, we supported and voted for President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC so we deserve better deal from what we are seeing now. It is the constituted duty of the federal government to maintain federal roads and that is why we are calling on the Hon. Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, to as a matter of urgency act”.
To douse tension, Vatsa said, “The Acting Governor, Ahmed Ketso, called the Hon. Minister and he has directed the contractor handling the project to create alternative route for motorists traveling along the collapsed Makera bridge pending the time permanent solution will be found for the road”.
On behalf of the five road transport unions, Alhaji Adamu Erena of IPMAN, thanked Niger State government and the chairman, Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers and the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubarkar, for intervening to stop the planned nationwide protests.
“We appreciate efforts by the Niger state government which has gotten across to the Minister of Works to as a matter of urgency create alternative route for us to enable us convey our goods and services to the northern part of the country”, Erena said.
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