Ohanaeze Ndigbo has lauded the Arewa Youth Coalition for withdrawing the quit notice it issued to Igbos living in the North.
Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, withdrew the earlier quit notice it issued Nigerians of Igbo extraction living in the north to vacate the region before October 1 or face physical attacks. The Youth group announced the withdrawal less than 72 hours after President Muhammad Buhari’s first address to the nation in over 100 days.
Reacting to the withdrawal of the quit order to Igbo living in the north by the Arewa youths, Ibegbu said in telephone interview with Tribune Online on Thursday that it is a welcome development.
“The withdrawal of the quit notice is a welcome development. I am happy that the Arewa youths have to realise that it was wrong in the first instance for any person or group of persons to issue a quit notice to any group to leave Nigerian territory. The Arewa Youths got it wrong ab initio as they have no constitutional right to sack Ndigbo from their area.
“I am also happy that the present administration has said it without any equivocation that every Nigerian is free to live in any part of the country. We have to remind ourselves that injustice, marginalisation, among others, led to hate speeches and restiveness in the land. The present administration should try as much as possible to address the perceived political imbalance to stem further agitation across the country.