We have a moral obligation to ensure that Nigeria remains one – Northern Governors

* If we separate where do we go?
*Invite South East Govs to flash points in the North

The 19 Northern Governors have pleaded with Ndigbo to allow the country to exist as one.

This plea came from five Northern Governors of Kebbi, Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, and Plateau states, led by the Chairman of Northern Governors Forum and Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima, who came in by around 6pm Monday.

Others were Sen Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, Aminu Matsari of Katsina, Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto and plateau, Simon Lolong.

Speaking during the occasion, Gov. Kashim Shettima said “We have faith in the unity of this country. Those of us who have served in the National Assembly have mixed with people from different parts of the country and have built a coalition across the country” disclosing that they were in Abia “on behalf of Northern Governors to commend Gov. Ikpeazu on his high quality leadership in handling the crisis in Abia.

“He rose to the occasion and declared curfew in Aba just as Gov. Lalong also declared curfew in Jos to avert a reprisal attack on the Igbo.

“We are here to show solidarity. We have a moral obligation to ensure that Nigeria remains one. Nigeria is the largest conglomeration of black people in Africa, and we cannot afford to separate.

“If we separate where do we go? North is the Sahara desert, and Chad cannot contain us. If we go south, it is the Atlantic Ocean, and south is too small for us, and the mountains of East Africa, with their so many challenges, cannot accommodate us.

“We came to commend Ikpeazu for rising to the occasion. We are here to remind Nigerians that we are better as one. We are also here to invite our South East colleagues to also come to the flash points of the North to speak to Ndigbo living in the North”, the northern governors said.

According to him, the Igbos are economically enterprising maintaining that they ( Northern Governors) are here to make the country work.
Shettima said that they are against mass exodus of Nigerians from one part of the country to another, stressing that “Our brothers from the South- East can come to any part of the North to stay and do their business as nobody has the right to drive away any Nigerian from any part of the country.

Responding, Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu thanked them for coming, , adding that he derives a lot of joy from the camaraderie that exist among the Nigerian Governors forum, while expressing his delight by what he called “show of solidarity by our brothers from the North.

“When this crisis started, I asked myself what will my brother Tambuwal in Sokoto do if he is in my shoes or Shettima of Borno?

“Your visit has demonstrated that the string that binds us together is strong. We are one and I want to assure you that the security of all Abia residents, both indigenes and non indigenes are guaranteed. We cannot allow infinitesimal few to separate us”.

According to him, the intention of those who decided to threaten the peace of the state was ill and made it clear that he owe it a duty to ensure that everyone in his care is safe.
He urged the moslem community in the state to go about their business as normalcy has returned to the state and stated that the cordial relationship between the Igbos and their Northern brothers will continue.

Ikpeazu assured that normalcy has returned to Abia while Muslims in the state had peaceful worships in their respective mosques in the state last Friday, noting however that just as in Jos, the curfew in Aba will now run from 10 pm to 6 am daily.

The Abia governor however did not indicate how long the curfew will last.

The Northern Governors later met with the Hausa community at the banquet hall of the Abia State Government House where they addressed the Hausa community in Hausa language.

By Sunday Nwakanma – Umuahia