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Tag: quit notice

  • Atiku hails Niger Delta militants over withdrawal of quit notice to Yoruba, northerners

    Former Vice President and chieftain of All Progressives Congress, Atiku Abubakar has commended Niger Delta militants for withdrawing a quit notice earlier served to persons of Northern and Southwestern descent to quit the South South region.

    Atiku who made the commendation in a statement forwarded to TheNewsGuru.com by his media office, said instead of divisions, what the federal government must do is restructure the federation till it achieves a resemblance of an almost perfect union.

    The statement reads, “Just as I commended Arewa Youths for listening to good counsel and withdrawing the ill advised Quit Notice to people of Igbo origin to leave the North before October 1 or face consequences, I similarly applaud Niger Delta youths for rescinding their counter Quit Notice to persons of Northern and Southwestern descent to quit the South South region.

    “This news could not have come at a better time as when Nigeria defeated Cameroon 4-0. The Super Eagles scored four goals and none of those goals were scored in the name of Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba or indeed under the aegis of North or South. Each and everyone of those goals were resoundingly for Nigeria.

    “No one disowns a child when he or she is almost 60. Nigerian is too old and too big to fail. Instead of divisions, what we must do is restructure our federation till it more closely resembles the almost perfect union that our Founding Fathers chiseled together at the various pre Independence conferences.

    “There is enough in Nigeria for everyone’s need and to meet every bloc’s aspirations. What we need is not uniformity but harmony. Just like an orchestra, we may all sing differently, but when our voices are blended, together, they give off a richer more melodious symphony than would ever have been possible if we were to sing individually.

    “I urge all Nigerians to be hopeful. To be great, every nation must go through struggle. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, if you are going through struggles, keep going. We will go through and emerge better than before. This is my promise to Nigeria.” He concluded

  • Niger Delta militants suspend quit notice to Yoruba, northerners

    A coalition of Niger Delta militants on Friday withdrew the quit notice issued to Northerners and Yorubas in the region.

    A group, the Pan Niger Delta People’s Congress (PNDPC), said the issuers of the quit notice gave them the mandate to withdraw it.

    The militant groups appointed His Royal Majesty Pere Ayemi-Botu, paramount ruler of Seimbiri Kingdom as the head of the PNDPC and named Chief Mike Loyibo as the coordinator/ convener of the group.

    The coalition comprises the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers; Niger Delta Joint Revolutionary Crusaders Council; Niger Delta Supreme Egbesu Fighters; Niger Delta Red Scorpion Fighters; Niger Delta Youth Mandate for Justice; Niger Delta People’s Liberation Force; Niger Delta Fighters for Resource Control; Niger Delta for Urhobo Resource Control; and Bakassi People’s Liberation Force.

    Loyibo confirmed that the coalition mandated the PNPDC to announce the withdrawal of the quit notice.

    He said, “People should disregard the quit notice from our youth. I have spoken to many of them and they mandated me to withdraw it on their behalf.

    “They have called off the quit notice and discharged it. Everybody in the region in the west, east and north should go about their normal business. I can guarantee them of their safety.

    “The entire Niger Delta people are not in agreement with the quit notice issue. The boys that issued it are very remorseful. So, they have asked me, because they mandated me to speak for them and the region, to discharge the quit notice.”

    Loyibo noted that such unpatriotic remarks like issuance of quit notices had their origin from the cold war involving the country’s founding fathers during the pre-colonial era.

    “This quit notice and counter quit notice found their foundations from the pre-colonial days. The three leaders that negotiated the independence of Nigeria did not love themselves.

    “It was the crisis that extended to our era where everybody begins to struggle for their own. I don’t believe in regional or tribal considerations. As Ijaw people, those that had been good to us did not come from our region,” he said.

    He added, “We are peace-loving people. Our diversity is our strength. Mr. President has brought a lot of integrity to governance and he came in with massive goodwill. So, I believe that this is the time he should be addressing the issue.

    “The late President Yar’Adua took the bull by the horn and declared amnesty and today amnesty is working. The place is being transformed in human capacity building.

    “This is not the time for us to bring violence. When the militants and the agitators and the people of the Niger Delta named us to represent the Niger Delta as the new face, it did not come to us as a surprise because some of us have long history of integrity and openness.

    “We believe that Nigeria will continue to remain as one under a peaceful situation. So, I hereby, use this medium to formally discharge that quit notice. It is of no effects and there is no element of seriousness and the people that did it are very remorseful after we met with them and scolded them.”

  • N’Delta militants insist on quit notice for Yoruba, northerners

    N’Delta militants insist on quit notice for Yoruba, northerners

    The Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators has said that despite the volte-face by the Arewa youths on the quit notice to the Igbo in the North, it will stand on its position that the northerners and the Yoruba in the oil-rich region must leave before October 1, 2017.

    The militants, who made the statements in a mail made available to journalists on Sunday, rejected the call for the arrest of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

    They maintained that call for Kanu’s arrest was used to replace the withdrawal of the quit notice earlier issued to Igbo people living in the North, adding the government and security agencies headed by northerners ignited the quit notice fire.

    John Duku of the Niger Delta Watchdogs and Convener of the Coalition; Ekpo Ekpo of the Niger Delta Volunteers; Osarolor Nedam of Niger Delta Warriors; and Henry Okon Etete of the Niger Delta Peoples Fighters were among those who signed the statement.

    Others are Asukwo Henshaw of the Bakassi Freedom Fighters; Ibinabo Horsfall of the Niger Delta Movement for Justice; Duke Emmanson of Niger Delta Fighters Network; Inibeghe Adams of Niger Delta Freedom Mandate and Ibinabo Tariah of the Niger Delta Development Network.

    Part of the statement by the agitators read, “It is our avowed determination to ensure that the Niger Delta remains focused on our demands for a total overhaul of the basis of our unity. We have therefore resolved to stand by our previous demands as follows:

    “That the northerners and Yoruba should leave the Niger Delta before October 1, 2017; return of all the oil blocs own by northerners and Yoruba to Niger Delta people.

    Relocation of the oil and gas companies headquarters to their operational base as well as relocation of NNPC headquarters, all other offices that have to do with oil and gas; replacement of the Group Managing Director of NNPC.

    “We reaffirm our resolve for the declaration of the Niger Delta Republic on 1st October 2017. We reaffirm our resolve to resume the attack on all the oil blocs that are owned by the northerners and Yoruba in the Niger Delta from September 10, 2017.

    “We hereby call on PENGASSAN, NUPENG and international communities to withdraw their members/expatriates from such oil wells/blocs as we shall not spare any person found in such platforms, including NNPC offices in Abuja and Lagos, oil companies’ headquarters outside the Niger Delta region.”

  • BREAKING: Arewa youth coalition withdraws quit notice to Igbos

    The coalition of Northern youth groups on Thursday temporarily withdrew its quit notice to Igbos living in the region.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the groups, under the aegis of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, issued the quit notice in June, asking Igbos to leave before October 1 and claiming their demand was in response to the secessionist stance of some pro-Biafran groups, like Nnamdi Kanu’s IPOB.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the quit notice was roundly condemned by Nigerians and several peace initiates were made to shelf the decision.

    The groups announced a suspension of the quit notice on Thursday at a press briefing at the Transcorp hotel in Abuja.

    Details later…

     

  • Ortom distance self from quit notice to herders

    The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom yesterday distanced himself from the quit notice reportedly issued to herders by a group known as Middle Belt Renaissance Forum.

    The group was said to have met in Abuja few days ago where they issued the quit notice to herders in the region.

    Ortom, reacting to the development through his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase in Makurdi, stated categorically that the Benue State government, himself and the people of the state were not part of the quit notice.

    “The said notice will not have any impact or effect in Benue State and it should be disregarded by all Benue people, including Fulani herdsmen living in the state. Security agencies should investigate the matter and apprehend those behind the quit notice,” he said.

    According to him, Benue State enacted a law prohibiting open grazing to pave way for the establishment of ranches and the implementation of the law scheduled to commence in November this year but does not provide that herders should leave the state.

  • Quit notice: Igbo, Arewa youths reach truce, set up 10-man peace committee

    Quit notice: Igbo, Arewa youths reach truce, set up 10-man peace committee

    Sequel to the crisis triggered by the quit notice recently issued to Igbos residing in the north, the Arewa youth and Igbo leaders have started resolving the imbroglio to douse tensions in both regions.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Coalition of Northern Groups and Igbo leaders in the North met on Friday in Kano on the issue and formed a 10-man committee to work out terms for the suspension of the quit notice.

    The committee’s assignment is expected to be accomplished within 72 hours, convener of the meeting, Alhaji Ali Tijani,said at the end of yesterday’s meeting.

    Its terms of reference include coming up with the best modalities for the suspension of the quit notice.

    Each side is represented by five members in the committee.

    They are: Chief Chi Nwogu, Eze Ngozi Nwaiwe, Igwe Boniface Ibekwe, Mr. Magnus Ihejirika and Mr. Chris for the Igbos,and Mr.. Abdullahi Toro, Dr. Abba Bukar Kagu, Dr. Yima Sen, Dauda S. Shamakuri, and Ado Mohmoud for the Arewa group.

    Meanwhile, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), in Kano, said yesterday that the quit notice in the Kaduna Declaration was not part of an agenda to use force to eject Ndi-Igbo from the Northern part of the country

    In his remarks at the Zonal Town Hall Meeting of the North West Zone, the spokesman of the coalition, Suleiman Abdulazeez, alongside Ambassador Shettima Yerima, who is the co- chairman of the group, said that the goal of the ongoing agitation was to save the integrity and the unity of this country, as well as to ensure a peaceful society.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that some prominent Northern youth associations on recently after a joint meeting tagged ‘Kaduna Declaration’ issued a serious threat to Igbos residing in the region to vacate on or before October 1 (Nigeria’s Independence Day) 2017 or face physical attacks.

     

  • Quit Notice on Igbos: I’ll turn myself in when declared wanted – Yerima

    Sequel to the quit notice issued to Igbos in the north and the subsequent controversies this has generated, the leader of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, Shettima Yerima, who was among those that issued the threat said he would submit himself for questioning if declared wanted.

    According to him, he was not on the run and had nothing to fear because he only expressed his views as a Nigerian.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that prominent Northern youth associations after a recent joint meeting tagged ‘Kaduna Declaration’ issued a serious threat to Igbos residing in the region to vacate on or before October 1 (Nigeria’s Independence Day) 2017 or face physical attacks.

    Apart from Yerima, those who endorsed the resolution were Nastura Sharif (Arewa Citizens Action for Change); Aminu Adam (Arewa Youth Development Foundation); Alfred Solomon (Arewa Students Forum); Abdul-Azeez Suleiman (Northern Emancipation Network) as well as Joshua Viashman (Northern Youth Vanguard).

    However, in an interview with The Punch, the AYCF leader said he would voluntarily surrender himself if invited by security agencies.

    In his words: “I did not go into hiding and will never go into hiding. We need to put the record straight. For now, nobody is looking for me and I am ready to submit myself if I am called. I am not a joker. Nobody is looking for me and I am not hiding anywhere from anybody. I am in my village, I am a Nigerian. If anybody looks for me, I will submit myself. I am not above the law. I am not on the run.”

    While insisting that he would not go into hiding, Yerima insisted that the Igbo should leave Nigeria.

    He said, “Why should I go into hiding? I have a name, I have a face. I am not faceless.

    “I am not hiding anywhere. Why should I hide? Where did I go wrong? Somebody wants to go and I said, ‘go, you’re free to go’. What is wrong with it?

    “You cannot be in our country and begin to clamour for another country. Go to your place and declare your own country, not in my zone. It is a simple language. I have not committed any offence.”

  • Northern women condemn quit notice to Igbos, call for peaceful resolution

    Northern women condemn quit notice to Igbos, call for peaceful resolution

    Northern Women under the platform of Jam’iyar Matan Arewa, JMA, has kicked against the three-month notice issued to Igbos to vacate the north.

    The women urged the youths behind the order they described as “unfortunate development ” to understand the importance of peaceful coexistence and sheath their swords of acrimony against the Igbos residing in the northern region.

    A statement issued by its Interim President and former deputy governor of Kaduna State, Mrs. Pamela Sadauki, said, “We of the JMA as mothers, wives and sisters have read with a heavy heart the agitations for the breakup of our dear Nation by our youth and we wish to appeal to them for calm and peaceful coexistence.

    “JMA therefore wishes to draw the attention of everyone in this great nation to this very unfortunate development. Given the unfortunate situation that we have found ourselves today, we are hopeful that our youths will be bridge builders and patriotic towards our Nation building for a peaceful coexistence and not engage in negative agitations that will put our dear nation in jeopardy.

    “Our history is full of gruesome scenarios and restlessness that have brought about horrific memories and we must be able to learn from our history to avoid further violence.

    “We note some of the frustrating situation arising for the agitation for the breakup, but if you go by the global trend of nation breaking up, these nations still have not found the very core of the need of peace for coexistence.

    “Ours can therefore not be different; we must learn from these and come up with viable solutions to our special needs.

    “We therefore call on the Government to recognize these agitations and call for a stakeholder’s forum with the sincerity of purpose that would address this very unfortunate situation.

    “As mothers, wives and sisters, we would sincerely like to appeal to our dear youths to sheath their swords and embrace peace so that Nigeria will continue to be great and be an example to other nations to follows.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that prominent Northern youth associations on Tuesday after a joint meeting tagged ‘Kaduna Declaration’ issued a serious threat to Igbos residing in the region to vacate on or before October 1 (Nigeria’s Independence Day) 2017 or face physical attacks.

  • Ambode goes tough gives ‘danfos’ quit notice on Lagos roads

    Ambode goes tough gives ‘danfos’ quit notice on Lagos roads

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Lagos State Governor on Monday vowed plans are up to remove yellow buses popularly known as ‘Danfo’ from Lagos roads for a more efficient, well-structured and world class mass transportation system that would ease movement within the city.

    Governor Ambode also said that his administration would soon roll out a comprehensive environmental sanitation policy that would make the city to be clean without much burden on the people in terms of taxes. Speaking at the 14th Annual Lecture of the Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL) held at Muson Centre in Onikan with the theme: “Living Well Together, Tomorrow: The Challenge Of Africa’s Future Cities,” Governor Ambode admitted that the present connectivity mode in Lagos was not acceptable and befitting for a mega city and as such a well-structured transportation mode would soon be put in place to address the challenge.

    “When I wake up in the morning and see all these yellow buses and see Okada and all kinds of tricycles and then we claim we are a mega city, that is not true and we must first acknowledge that that is a faulty connectivity that we are running.

    “Having accepted that we have to look for the solution and that is why we want to banish yellow buses this year. We must address the issue of connectivity that makes people move around with ease and that is where we are going.

    “For instance, people going from Ikorodu to CMS have started leaving their cars at home because the buses are very convenient and so why can’t we do that for other places? Yes, we don’t have the money to do that but we can go to the capital market and then improve on the technology of collection of fares and that will encourage investors and then the city will change,” Governor Ambode said.

    The Governor said the government was also embarking on massive reform in waste management system, expressing optimism that the plan will fully be actualized by July this year. He said: “We are also embarking on massive reform in the waste and sanitation management system.

    I don’t like the way the city is and the Private Sector Participants (PSP) collectors are not having enough capacity to do it but again should I tax people to death, the answer is no. I don’t want to tax people and so we need this partnership with the private sector so that they can invest in the sanitation management of the city and in no time maybe by July, the city will change forever.”

    Ambode who recalled the massive infrastructures being put in place in critical sectors of the Lagos economy such as transport sector, road construction and rehabilitation, construction of lay-bys, and flyovers among others, said the main objective of his administration remained the growth of the Lagos economy from 5th to 3rd largest economy in Africa.

    On power, Governor Ambode said the major issue had always been with transmission and advocated an embedded power initiative that would allow clusters of Independent Power Projects (IPP) to run the cities.

    He said he had remained focused on some issues such as infrastructure, security, job creation, power, adoption of technology as an enabler and driving investment through ease of doing business. In his opening remarks, CVL founder and renowned development expert, Professor Pat Utomi said the idea behind the formation of the group was to get young people to begin to appreciate early what leadership was all about being service to the people.

    Speaking on the theme of the symposium, Utomi said Lagos remained the best governed State in Nigeria in the last 18 years and a good example of what the country should be beyond and without oil.

    He commended Governor Ambode on his leadership style and particularly congratulated Lagos for being named by the Rockefeller Foundation as one of the 100 most resilient cities in the world. Chairman of the occasion and former Governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke said the theme of the symposium was apt considering that Nigeria’s population by 2050 would have tripled and as such it was important for the country to start planning for livable cities.

    He commended Governor Ambode over his achievements in office so far, saying that it was obvious that the Governor has been performing very well and he is a good example of continuity in governance. On his part, Director of Centre for African Economies, Oxford University, Professor Paul Collier said from his over thirty years experience of coming to Nigeria, Governor Ambode has proven himself to be the third excellent Governor in a row in Lagos. Collier, who was the keynote speaker, said judging by the population projection of Nigeria by 2050, now is the time for the country to start building its cities to conform to the modern trend. He said Nigeria’s oil had been a course which messed up the economy, and so there was need to start proper planning for development. As a way out, Collier suggested alliance between the business community and political actors, saying that to build a city that works, attention must be focused on energy and connectivity.