A Niger Delta group, the Ijaw Youth Council, yesterday said it disagreed with President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement that Nigeria’s unity “is settled and not negotiable.” Buhari spoke early yesterday morning in a short nationwide broadcast in which he expressed strong views on Nigeria’s continued existence as one nation and declared the country’s indivisibility, despite centrifugal agitations.
Having vowed outright resistance to any secessionist struggle, he added that “grievances” by groups could only be handled the National Assembly and the Council of State, which he noted are the “appropriate and legitimate bodies for national discourse.” But in a reaction later yesterday, IYC, through its leader, Eric Omare, disagreed with Buhari. According to him, Nigeria’s corporate existence as one nation of multicultural groups remains unsettled and negotiable. He likened the president’s position on the national question to military approach and one that came short of addressing sub-structural issues that spark agitations. “Th e 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. “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 sincere and painstaking discussions that would solve the problems. Th is is because some of the agitations are genuine and need to be addressed,” he said. (Premium Times
