REACTIONS STILL TRAIL THE EVICTION ORDER ON PEOPLE OF IGBOS

The declaration by a coalition of some Northern Youth Organizations that people of Igbo extraction should leave the North has been described as uncalled for and an action capable of causing disunity in the country. Some natives and residents of Enugu State made the remark when they spoke with Radio Nigeria on the issue.

As Nigerians grapple with harsh economic condition, suicide bombing, kidnapping, armed robbery and militancy, the three months ultimatum given to people of Igbo extraction living in the Northern part of the country to vacate the area has added more to their worries. Reacting to the order, the Traditional ruler of Ibagwa Nike community, Igwe Emmanuel Ugwu, stated that it was ill motivated as it negates the Federal Government ‘squest for sustained peace and unity of the country.

“The Northern Elites should also call the radicals to order, so that their pronouncement  will not be carried out by that  October first”.

Another Traditional ruler, Igwe Edmund Onyefulu of AmaetitiAchi noted that Ndigbo has contributed greatly to the socio-economic growth of the north and other places and as such did not deserve the treatment.

“Even where they said any human cannot go, Igbo man will go there, because he has intellect, he has the physique. They are making inexperience statement, because no other empire can exist without the other.”

The two traditional rulers maintained that the reactions of the northern youths to the ‘sit-at home’ observed in the east by theIndigenous People of Biafra on May thirty was misplaced. The Sariki Hausa Enugu State, AlhajiIdrisAdo Suleiman who was born and brought in the Coal City maintained that no one had threatened any Hausa resident in the area.

“Here we are not even embarrassed about all these things, we are free born of thisplace of Enugu. Since colonial days, mygrandfather was here. Even the Islamic Centre that they give here is 1956that they give that centre. We are doing our business, since weydey even say this thing.’’

For a cobbler, SaniAdamu, the order makes no difference.

“As they say make Igbo People come back,that is how we will go. If them wan share am, make them share am. If peace no go dey better make we share am go.”

A shop keeper, Nasiru Ahmed frowned at the vacation order which also requested northerners in the South-East to return to the North and stressed the need for all to allow Nigeria to exist as one entity.

“Icome from Jigawa State,Magatiri Local Government, for here, we no get problem  with Igbo people, na one Naija we dey. Everybody make him stay for the place where dey make em they do em business.”

Meanwhile, the Police Public Relation’s Officer, Enugu State police Command, MrEbereAmarizu says there had been no case of breach of peace in the area following the ultimatum by some northern youth organizations.

          “I can tell you that we have not received any adverse information, we have strong synergy across all ethnic groups.”

          MrAmarizu urged Enugu citizens to stay away from any criminal act capable of disrupting the harmonious relationship existing in the land.

Uju Umunna