By ADELEKE ADESANYA
Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide has advised the Northern Youth Council to withdraw the 30-day ultimatum and threats it issued to the Federal Government over its suspension of the implementation of the controversial Ruga settlement scheme for herders across the country.
The Igbo youth council said that it had become imperative for the Northern coalition group to withdraw its ultimatum to the Federal Government in the interest of national peace and security.
The Igbo youth said the Northern youths’ approach to the suspension of the Ruga settlement scheme by the Federal Government was an invitation of war to the Southerners.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, by the President General of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, Mr. Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the Igbo group vowed that it would seek peaceful means to deal with the Northern Youth Coalition for the sake of protecting the lives and property of the Igbo resident in the North.
The youths commended the Federal Government for suspending the RUGA settlement scheme and urged the Northern youths to obey the suspension and stop issuing threats over it.
The Igbo youths accused the Northern youths of promoting hate speech banned by the Federal Government through the ultimatum and urged the government to call them to order.
The statement read, “We studied and weighed the implications of the recent threat and 30-day ultimatum from a Northern group named ” Coalition of Northern groups” over the suspension of Ruga settlement by the Presidency, and there has been unnecessary tension in Southern Nigeria, especially among Igbos, emanating from the threat of these Northern group.
“We are fully aware that these recent threats are targeted only at the lives and property of peaceful Nigerians of Igbo extraction doing business in 19 the Northern States, and this is a declaration of war against the Igbos.
“Instead of resorting to threats or hate speech, or counter threats over the 30-day ultimatum by the Arewa Youths under the aegis of Northern Youths Coalition, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide will facilitate a peaceful dialogue with the leadership of the coalition to ensure that the ultimatum will be resolved peacefully like the previous threat of quit notice issued against Igbos in 2017 by the same group.
“We will not fail to explore all peaceful avenues for the protection of lives and property of Igbos living in the 19 Northern States, but warn that our peaceful approach should not be understood as weakness as there are other options open to us over the recent threat, but we will legitimately pursue peaceful ways to avert this imminent mayhem and genocidal ethnic cleansing against Igbos in the North.
The Igbo youth group further said, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide congratulates the President, Muhammadu Buhari, for the suspension of the Ruga settlement programme and the careful approach of the National Economic Council under Vice President Yemi Osibanjo and the Sub- Committee led by Governor David Umahi over the clarification of the controversial Ruga settlement programme, and reintroduction of National livestock Transformation Programme, which has programmes of rehabilitation of displaced IDPs, as a voluntary programme for any willing state to participate.
“We urge the Coalition of Northern groups to direct Northern governors to opt for the second option of ranching through this peaceful National Livestock Transformation Programme rather than Ruga settlement, which was clearly rejected by the Southern Nigeria, especially the South East /South-South governors and the people.
“OYC wishes to remind the leadership of Coalition of Northern groups of the grave implications of this recent threat, reminding them that “hate speech ban” is still effective and in the interest of national peace and security, to withdraw the 30-day ultimatum immediately since there is another option for Fulani herdsmen to have ranching in the North through NLTP, except they are out to use the guise of Ruga settlement programme for land grabbing and nefarious activities in the South East or anywhere in Southern Nigeria, which was clearly rejected and resisted by Southern Nigerians.
The OYC added, “We warn that the Youths of South East and South-South are not ready to stomach the threat of genocidal ethnic cleansing against the Igbos in the North. We call on Ndigbo to be vigilant and defend themselves in the North, and relocate immediately their business headquarters to the East.
“If the Northern governors, Northern Elders Forum, Arewa Consultative Forum, Northern Traditional Rulers led by Sultan of Sokoto and religious leaders are not behind the recent threat, they should condemn it vehemently and call the warring Youths to order. But if they fail, we will hold them responsible for any loss of life or property resulting from the intended ethnic cleansing by the Coalition of Northern groups.”
