Presidency replies Arewa youths’ letter

The Nigeria’s Federal Government has replied the Arewa youths’ letter to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, urging him to see reason why Igbo must go.

The presidency’s response came after the escalation of ethnic tensions occasioned by the agitation for Biafra and the vacation order issued by Northern youths for Igbo to quit the North followed by a warning to Igbo by a Yoruba youth group issued from Lagos telling the Igbo living in South West that they were sick and tired of their threats to the peace of Nigeria through their endless agitations for Biafra, fully supported by their leaders.

Presidency source said: “Our response is the ongoing consultations Mr. Acting President is engaged in with leaders of thoughts from both regions.

“It is the best way to get everyone to see reason. The Presidency doesn’t want to escalate the matter by responding to individual groups. The ongoing parley is the best approach.”

Reports had it that the Arewa youths’ letter on Monday, June 19 urged Osinbajo to allow the agitation for Biafra to succeed through peaceful means.

The group, in an open letter to the Acting President, urged him to take “steps to facilitate the actualisation of the agitation in line with the principle of self-determination as an integral part of contemporary customary international law.”

The DEFENDER gathered that the letter, which was signed by five leaders of the group, insisted that principle of self-determination has, since World War II, become a part of the United Nations Charter which states in Article 1(2), that one of the purposes of the UN is “to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples.

“We submit that this protocol envisages that people of any nation have the right to self-determination, and although the Charter did not categorically impose direct legal obligations on member States; it implies that member States allow agitating or minority groups to self-govern as much as possible,” they said.

It would be recalled The DEFENDER among other serious media in Nigeria had reported on Monday that the Arewa Youths had written a letter to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, begging him to reason with them why the Igbo must go.

That was contained in a letter by a coalition of Northern youths to the acting president signed by Ambassador Shettima Yerima, Joshua Viashman, Aminu Adam, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman and Nastura Ashir Sharif.