A non governmental organization, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), has condemned the call by some Arewa youths threatening Ndigbo to vacate Northern states.
The Senior Programmes Officer of CITAD, Isah Garba, stated this in Bauchi.
It said, “CITAD read a statement asserted by some groups that include Arewa Citizens Action for Change, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Arewa Youth Development Foundation, Arewa Students’ Forum and Arewa Emancipation Network yesterday during a press conference they jointly held in Kaduna, threating the Igbo residing in northern part of the country to vacate the region by October 1, 2017.
“In view of that, we want to categorically state that we condemn this statement in strong terms and make it clear that this view did not represent the views of the millions of people in the northern Nigeria.
“Specifically, we want and draw the attention of these ‘youth’ to note that this is not the right way to address the problem and this will rather escalate rather than solve problem. They should also know that many Igbo both in the north and even the Igbo land did not subscribe to the idea of separating the country nor are they party to the Biafra agitation.”
According to Garba, “this is an issue that needs constructed yet diligent approach by the government not by individuals or groups of some few individuals. Also there is nowhere in the world where two wrongs make a right. Therefore, if others are advocating dividing the country, it is wrong for others in the other end to demand for the eviction of any other person from any region in the country.”
He said such statements fall into the categories of dangerous speech, adding that it is repugnant to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and even the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He thereby called on the government not to consider such actions and reactions as trivial issues as such have full potentials of catalyzing violence and may infringe the rights of the targeted victims.
“The government should find immediate and proactive measure of addressing such issues before they fall out of control as well as be objective and unbiased in handling such issues.
CITAD urged the public to remain calm and not allow themselves to be used by some few individuals in their attempt to achieve political interest or any other interest best known to them, saying, “Both the target audience and victims of the statement should not react to such statement either in offensive or in defense.”