Northern elders tag Ango Abdullahi, Kanu, IPOB, others as agents of disintegration

The newly elected convener of the Northern Elders Forum, Mr Paul Unongo, on Thursday in Abuja lampooned those supporting moves that could disintegrate the country.

Professor Ango Abdullahi, who himself is the spokesperson of NEF had supported the call by Arewa youths for all Igbos living in the North to vacate the region on or before October 1, 2017.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu have been in the ford ring of those agitating for a Biafra Republic out of the present Nigeria.

But in a statement Unongo issued in Abuja on Thursday, he described those agitating for secession as agents of disunity and regretted what he said were unguided remarks of some elders in the North.

The NEF position followed the October 1 ultimatum to Igbo which the northern youths are yet to retract.

He was quoted by the statement as stating the position of NEF on the troubling issue when he led executive members of the group to condole with Governor Umar Ganduje of Kano State over the death of Yusuf Maitama Sule, the Danmasanin Kano.

The late Sule was until his death, the leader of the forum.

According to Unongo, no responsible and patriotic Nigerian will support any “move aimed at putting Nigeria asunder.’’

Read also : We’ll start daily sit-out at NASS from 90th day of Buhari’s absence – Group

He then said that NEF is “no safe haven of those whose penchant for disunity is on a crude pedestal, regardless of the consequences of their campaign of attrition.”

He added, “An evidence of our commitment as one northern entity and to sustain the legacy left behind by Danmasanin is the decision of my colleagues in the Forum to trust me with its leadership.

“It is unfortunate that at this moment, such unguided remarks are coming out from supposed elders of the region.

“Tragically, even some senior citizens with distinguished records in key events at turning points in our history, people who know what it took to build this country and pull it away many times from edges of disaster, people who benefitted from peace and development, are today stoking the fire of crisis and unimaginable disaster.’’

 

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