Ijaws disagree with Buhari, on approach to quell agitations against Nigeria’s unity

Hours after President Muhammadu Buhari, in his first national broadcast in months, insisted on the non-negotiability of Nigeria’s unity, the Ijaws in the country have disagreed with him,

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide has insisted on the option of engagement as a means to resolve the agitating issues.
Buhari, who returned to Nigeria on Saturday after spending 103 days on a follow-up treatment trip to London, had on Monday, while addressing the country said it was already settled that the unity of the country is non-negotiable.

He therefore called on those fanning the embers of disunity in the country to desist from such.

In its response, IYC who had in an earlier statement at the weekend called on Buhari to seek means of addressing issues of restructuring, self-determination and agitations in the Niger Delta, disagreed with Buhari, insisting that trying to shut the doors for engagement would never stop the growing agitations.

The IYC reaction was contained in a statement its president, Eric Omare, released on Monday.

The statement read in part, “The solution in the opinion of the IYC is for President Muhammadu Buhari to take practical steps towards addressing the causes of persistent agitations in the country rather than shutting the door of engagement that would lead to the resolution of the agitations.

Read also: #BreakUpNigeria: Our unity not negotiable –Buhari

“Mr. President must do away with politicking and rise up to the national challenges as a statesman. We strongly hold the view that threats of brute force would not quell the agitations. It is only a sincere and painstaking discussion that would solve the problems. This is because some of the agitations are genuine and need to be addressed.”

IYC president therefore called on President Buhari to review his stand so that he will be able to appropriately resolve the different issues agitating the minds of different groups in Nigeria.

Buhari’s position on the country’s unity is coming as agitations for restructuring of the country, call for Biafra independence, quit notice order to Ndigbo in the North and to Yoruba and Hausa people in the South-South is heightened.

 

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