Issue identity cards to Southerners in Kano -Northern group • Threats on Southerners unfortunate: Few days after the threat issued to the Igbo ethnic group by the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) that its people would forfeit their investments to the tune of about N45 trillion if Northerners continued to be maltreated in the South-East, a coalition of Northerners have again fired another salvo at Southern Nigeria. The Arewa Citizens Group, in what could be described as a reaction to the alleged plan by the Imo State government to issue identity cards to Northerners in the state, has proposed to Kano State House of Assembly, a bill for the registration of all Southerners residing or running businesses in the state. It will be recalled that the Imo State government, under Governor Rochas Okorocha, had reportedly directed Northerners resident in the state to register to obtain residential cards so that the government could check the influx of shady characters from troubled areas in the North and prevent insurgency in the state. Though the state government denied making such a move, the development was criticised by Nigerians as capable of causing disaffection among the people, with the Senate knocking the idea at the time. However, the Arewa Citizens Group, in a proposed bill jointly signed by the groups president, Audu Bulama Bukari and General-Secretary, Sunusi Umar Sadiq, said it initiated the idea of ID cards for Southerners in order to protect the state against robbery, kidnapping and other criminal acts. The bill stated that no Southerner wishing to enter the boundaries of the state shall be permitted to do so unless he is duly registered with the appropriate authority and issued with an identity card. The bill entitled Kano State Registration of Southerners and Allied Matters Law, 2014, Sunday Tribune learnt, will be enforced on 1 August, 2014. While responding, the spokesperson of the state House of Assembly, Kabiru Salisu, confirmed that a group of lawyers intimated the lawmakers of their intention to sponsor the bill but that they were yet to submit it before the House. The group had, last week, protested against what it described as the unfair treatment of Northerners residing in the southern parts of the country, asking for the Emir of Kanos intervention to address the situation as a matter of urgency. It will also be recalled that a group of Northern youths under the aegis of Arewa Youth Development Foundation had, last week, warned Southerners residing in the North to relocate to their respective states within two weeks to make room for Northerners who would be returning home from the South. Arewas threats to Southerners in the North, most unfortunate-Abia PDP But the Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, condemned the threats being issued by Northerners to their Southern counterparts, describing them as unfortunate and uncalled for. The party was reacting to a two-week ultimatum issued by some Northern youths under the aegis of Arewa Youth Development Foundation that non-northerners residents in the North should leave the region. Describing the threat as worrisome and uncalled for, the partys publicity secretary, Chief Ogbuka Uchechi, while addressing journalists at the partys secretariat in Umuahia, noted with disbelief that some Nigerian youths could wake up overnight and begin threaten other ethnic nationalities in the country. The party said it was unfortunate that at a critical moment when Nigerians were expecting the implementations of the just-concluded National Conference for the sake of the countrys unity, a group decided to threaten the peace of the nation despite sacrifices made by delegates to the confab. Uchechi said posterity would not forgive anyone or group trying to plunge the nation into anarchy, calling for a rethink. According to him, no region or section of the country could afford to live or sustain itself economically without the others, stressing further that since Nigerians have agreed to be one, no section should claim monopoly of strength, let alone demanding for the relocation of other tribes.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 22:00:01 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015