By Abraham Ogbodo
Last week, the
movement for the restructuring of Nigeria got more converts from an
unlikely quarter. Some 16 youth groups in the North rose from a meeting late on
Tuesday to declare the unwillingness of the North to continue in a Federation
that has the Igbo as part. The groups, which met in Arewa House, somehow the
symbolic throne of the Northern establishment and which gave the meeting added
significance, were actually more far-reaching.
As if they were the appointed deciders of the
fate of Nigeria, which has
been hanging precariously on a balance for more than a century, they gave till
October 1 for every Igbo man, woman and child in Northern Nigeria to leave for
the ‘Republic of Biafra’. Next day, some Northern elders
including Governor el-Rufai of Kaduna
who said they were taken aback by the action of the youths dissociated
themselves from the quit notice and even called for the arrest and prosecution
of members of the groups.
Nothing happened. Instead, the youths returned
a day after to reinforce their declaration. For opposing the declaration, Nasir
el-Rufai and Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State
were isolated for some tongue lashing. A statement signed by spokesman of the
Northern youth coalition, Mallam Abdulazeez Suleiman said: “we are particularly
disappointed by the treacherous positions assumed by Nasir Ahmed el-Rufai and
Kashim Shettima who in pursuit of their blind ambition for the vice presidency
chose to side with secessionist Igbo against the interest of peace-loving
Nigerians.”
The statement said
there was nothing altruistic about the position of el-Ruffai and Shettima on
the quit notice because both governors “are openly known to be waiting in the
wings for President Muhammadu Buhari to die so they can further their plot to
seek the presidency.” Specifically on Shettima who spoke on beh: “Shettima has
disconnected from reality as he gets intoxicated by immoral wealth and property
acquisition at the expense of people of the state suffering the devastation of
Boko Haram.” This was what Robert Louis Stevenson described in Treasure Island as ‘quarrel among the pirates.’