Shun protest, Arewa, Ohanaeze tell youths
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the Ohanaeze Ndigbo yesterday dissociated themselves from the protest being planned by some shadowy groups.
Also yesterday Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani cautioned North’s youths to shun call for protest.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), however, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to address grievances being expressed by those planning the protest.
ACF National Chairman Mamman Mike Osuman said the indices that track human progress, including poverty, illiteracy, health, and security of life and property, tend to place the North at the back.
He dissociated the group from the proposed protest, saying that it is ill-timed and counter-productive.
Osuman said: “We at ACF remain committed to articulating and defending the interests of the peoples of the North through our various activities. One such was the recently constituted Technical Committee that reviewed the 1999 Constitution (as amended) by the ACF.
Similarly, Ohanaeze said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Alex Ogbonnia, that Nigerians should understand that the current economic situation will not last forever.
According to the group, “tough times never last, but tough people do.”
The statement reads: “Ohanaeze Ndigbo seizes this opportunity to reiterate our position with respect to the widely publicised nationwide protest scheduled for the days of August, 2024
“The report of the Technical Committee formed the basis of ACF’s submission to the joint committees of the National Assembly on Constitution review. Our input will be formally made available to the Northern Governors’ Forum.”
The ACF chair spoke during a meeting with the Kaduna State governor.
Sani urged Northerners to shun what he described as toxic politics and join hands to pull the region back from the brink.
The governor advised them to reflect on insecurity, which has retarded regional development, instead of embarking on protest.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, pan-Igbo socio-cultural group, maintained that the people of Southeast will not participate in the protest.
