‘Arewa youths are not shifting ground on quit notice’

Yerima Shettima, the leader of the Arewa Youth Coalition has said that the October 1st quit notice issued to Igbos living in the North was still sacrosanct.

Shettima said the Coalition was yet to make any statement on the lifting of the order, but said the group will issue a statement within the week.

Shettima said this whilst addressing a joint press conference with former Abia governor, Orji Uzor Kalu and other South-East stakeholders.

Addressing journalists, Shettima said there was no time the coalition said it would withdraw the statement. He however noted that Igbos living in the North who respect the sovereignty of Nigeria are not to worry about the order as it was issued to those who are agitating for an independent state of Biafra.

“I do not also remember specifically saying we are going to finally withdraw the quit notice. No, certainly not. We have not.

“But we said, within the week, we are going to make a statement.”

He added, “It is only those who are blind that will say the unity of this country is not being threatened. But you have prominent Nigerians like him (Kalu) who have shown a lot of worries over this situation.

“To us, we strongly believe that Nigeria is for us and Nigeria belongs to everybody and we are all equal in this project.

“We will not in any way accept anybody who wants to undermine the unity of this country. We want those who want to remain and who believe in the unity of Nigeria to remain.

“But for those who don’t, they are free to go to their Biafra and stay there. For us, we want Nigeria and will remain in Nigeria.”

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