Nine northern
based youth groups had on Tuesday, presented a position paper in Kaduna asking
all Igbo residing in the northern part of the country to leave or face
‘ejection.’
El-Rufai
speaking through his senior special assistant, Samuel Aruwan while presenting
the position of the state government on the matter, said the state government
has ordered the arrest, investigation and prosecution of the signatories to the
statement and condemns in strongest terms the press statement by the “northern
youths.”
“We will
not tolerate such irresponsible statements and conduct in our state. The
statement issued by the “northern youths” violates the laws of Kaduna State.
Therefore, the Kaduna State Government has directed that its Ministry of
Justice should prepare charges and prosecute the signatories and anyone
complicit in arranging this egregious assault on the rights of fellow
citizens,” he said.
He
added that preparatory to prosecution, the police have been directed to
immediately arrest, interrogate the signatories to the statement and
investigate all the circumstances and persons that may be implicated in the
matter.
“Government
assures every resident of our state that their constitutional and human rights
to live peacefully and own property wherever they choose is sacrosanct. Even
people who may feel unhappy about irresponsible comments or actions that have
taken place in other states must know that two wrongs cannot make a right,” the
governor added.
He
said the Kaduna State Government believed in and will uphold the right of every
Nigerian to live safely and develop his/her full potentials within its
territory.
“Reckless
disregard for the rights of other citizens drips through the press statement by
these “northern youths” who have chosen to use the discourse around
restructuring to promote their own agenda of hate, division and incitement.
This sort of opportunists cannot be allowed to distort debate, or turn it into
a pretext for a barely-disguised agenda of displacement and dispossession of
some citizens.
"The
Kaduna State Government urges all residents to ignore the threats from the
“northern youths”. We are in contact with the leadership of the Igbo community
in Kaduna, and we are delighted to say that this community, like all our other
communities, believes in the strength of the constitutional order to protect
all citizens,” he added.
He
urged residents to continue to shun agents of division, and to stand firm in
upholding a common humanity, saying everyone has a right to live in peace and
harmony.
The governor
assured every resident of the state that nobody can tamper with their freedom
to reside where they choose adding that the state government has been
consistent in taking action to punish hate speech and incitement
Leaders of
the Arewa groups that were signatory to the statement are; Nastura Ashir
Sharif, for Arewa Citizens Action for Change; Amb. ShettimaYerima, Arewa
Youth Consultative Forum; Aminu Adam, Arewa Youth Development
Foundation; Alfred Solomon, Arewa Students
Forum; Abdul-Azeez
Suleiman, Northern Emancipation Network;
JoshuaViashman, Northern Youth Vanguard; Mohammad A.
Mohammad, Northern Youth Stakeholders Forum; Mohammed Tasiu
Pantami , North East Aseembly and Nathaniel Ajegena Adigizi,
North Central Peoples Front.
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