Nigeria’s unity under threat – Northern Youth

The National President, Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, Mr. Yerima Shettima, has said the Thursday meeting of regional militant groups in Owerri, Imo State capital, was not for 2015 politics.
He said it was facilitated to forestall a break
down of law and order before and after the
2015 general elections.
The meeting, hosted by the Leader, Movement
for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of
Biafra, Mr. Ralph Uwazuruike, had Shettimah
and Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief
Security Officer to late Head of State, Gen.
Sani Abacha in attendance.
Others included ex-militant and leader, Niger
Delta Peoples Volunteer Force, Mujahid Asari-
Dokubo; the founder of Oodu’a Peoples’
Congress, Dr. Fredrick Fasehun; and Abacha’s
son, Mohammed.
Speaking to our correspondent on Friday,
Shettima said the meeting was for the general
interest of the country. He said there was the
need for regional groups to discuss how unity
and equality would be maintained in the polity.
He said, “We realised that there is a threat to
our unity. It is glaring; it is becoming more
obvious and visible than anybody could ever
imagine.
“The politicians are busy overheating the polity
and some of us believe strongly that if we
don’t begin to take measures of extending
hands of fellowship to our brothers in other
parts of the country, there’s a possibility of
pre-election and post-elections violence.”
When reminded of the war threats by Asari-
Dokubo over President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-
election in 2015, Shettima said the threats
were reviewed and the ex-militant had realised
his mistakes.
While he noted that Asari-Dokubo would not
withdraw or apologise for his utterances, he
said, “We discussed with him extensively and
he now realises there’s hope from the
meeting.”
Shettima added, “What we discussed at our
meeting was far beyond whether Jonathan is
re-elected as President or not; we discussed
the unity of the nation and our people, so that
there won’t be any violence in the country.
Nobody would use any groups or individuals
against one another, whether from the North
or South.”
Asari-Dokubo, who was a guest on a Channels
Television programme, Politics Today , had said
in parts, “When some people say they have a
right to rule and others don’t have, then there
is no sitting on the fence. All of us will have to
be in the ring and fight. We cannot leave
Goodluck (Jonathan) alone.
“Whether they contest or they don’t. If they
say the blood of the dogs and the baboons will
be soaked in the streets, or salt water in the
streets, we will help them in with blood in the
streets.”