Former Kaduna Governor Balarabe Musa has said that “saboteurs” were behind
groups issuing quit notices to Nigerians living in some parts of the
country.
Mr. Musa, who condemned such notices in a telephone interview with the
News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) on Saturday, said the development was a threat
to Nigeria’s unity.
The People Redemption Party (PRP) leader was reacting to the Indigenous
Peoples of Biafra (IPOB)’s reported rejection of the withdrawal of quit
notice given to Igbo to leave the north, and a fresh quit notice given to
Yoruba persons resident in the Niger Delta to quit the region before
October 1.
“The quit notices are designed to escalate tension in the country and
promote disaffection among citizens.
“Clearly, the issuers of such notices are irresponsible groups being
backed by some people in their respective regions to issue the notices.
“Such backers are saboteurs ready to undermine the unity of the country
for their own parochial ethnic and political interests.
“It is sad that issuance of quit notices to Nigerians resident in other
states is now the order of the day.
“The development threatens the unity of the country and the peaceful
co-existence of all citizens.
“The groups issuing the threats are not doing that alone. They are
actually acting scripts by some people in their regions who are supposed
to be leaders.
“These backers are saboteurs who are bent on undermining the unity of the
country for their personal and parochial interests,” he said.
The former governor urged the government to take the right steps to arrest
the development in the interest of peace and progress.
On the rejection of quit notice withdrawal by IPOB, Mr. Musa said such
rejection was not relevant because IPOB could not force Igbo, who had
chosen to live in the North, to leave by October 1.
The former governor noted, however, that the northern youth group that
issued the quit notice did not have the power to implement their threat.
“All these groups issuing quit notices and threats do not have the powers
to do anything.
“They only create tension in the polity and threaten the peace of the
country .
“They can’t tell people where to live. They are nonentities who are just
claiming an influence they do not have,” he said.
He said that the responsibility to keep the country together was that of
every citizen, and urged leaders and politicians to promote peaceful
co-existence in their respective regions. (NAN)