One Nigeria: Buhari Refusing To Face Reality – Ijaw Youth Council

UDENGS ERADIRI-ERIC OMARE-IYCThe Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, has disagreed with President Muhammadu Buhari over his comment that the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable, saying it is an “old fashioned approach to the resolution of national problems”.

The umbrella body of Ijaw youths said it was in the interest of all Nigerians to renegotiate the future unity of the country, as many Nigerians want a nation that reflects a true federal state and allows people to grow at their own pace.

President Buhari had while addressing guests, who paid him Sallah homage at the presidential villa on Wednesday, said: “On security, we have made a lot of improvement. On Boko Haram militants, there is improvement. We are now concentrating on the (Niger Delta) militants to know how many of them in terms of groupings and leadership, and plead with them to try and give Nigeria a chance.

“I assure them (that) the saying by General Gowon that to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done. In those days, we never thought of oil, all we were only concerned with was one Nigeria.

“So please pass this to the militants that one Nigeria is not negotiable and they had better accept this.

“The Nigerian Constitution is clear as to what they should get and I assure them there will be justice”.

The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, and its Igbo counterpart, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, yesterday rejected the president’s comments for precluding talks about Nigeria’s unity.

SEE: Afenifere, Ohanaeze Disagree As President Says Nigeria’s Unity Not Negotiable

The IYC said in a statement by its spokesman, Eric Omare, on Thursday, that President Buhari was toeing an old-fashioned way of resolving national problems by merely quoting former head of state, Yakubu Gowon.

The IYC noted that the circumstances of the present day Nigeria demands a renegotiation of the future unity and existence of Nigeria.

“This demand is not peculiar to the Niger Delta region but cut across all parts of the country. For Nigeria to make progress President Buhari should dump his old fashioned approach to the unity of Nigeria and face the reality of the present day situation.

“Nigeria as presently constituted is suffocating and the federating ethnic nationalities can no longer bear the suffocating effect of the defective structure which hampers the development of the country.

“Nigerians want a country that is united on mutually agreed terms and not the present defective structure.

“The IYC calls on President Buhari to wake up and face the reality of the situation and stop relying on outdated notion of Nigeria’s unity. Nigerians demand for renegotiation”, the group said.