Alhaji Ahmed Sule, Secretary, Arewa Youth
Consultative Forum, AYCF, in this interview
justified the Arewa youth coalition’s three
months quit notice to the Igbo to leave the
North, saying the North is tired of insults.
Ahmed Sule, Secretary, Arewa Youth Consultative
Forum
HOW do you see the threat issued to the Igbo to
leave the North before October 1, 2017? We have a sovereign state with sovereign
powers, whether it is the President or whoever is
charged with the responsibility, he is duty bound
to take care of any situation that is going to
threaten the unity of the country. What brought
about the Kaduna declaration? Over the years
you have the Igbo people – their idea of Biafra
within a sovereign state has become like a
child’s play. You don’t try to make jest of
situations like that especially in a country like
Nigeria.
So the ACYF forum supports the quit notice to
the Igbo to leave the North?
Things are getting too much and we are getting
used to allowing them get away with it. Why
should you always be talking about Biafra? The
Arewa youths have never talked about breaking
away from this country, in fact all we do in our
programme is making sure this country remains
united.
Is asking the Igbo to leave the North and the
northerners in the South-East to come back to
the North not part of attempts to break the
country?
When you make threats and get away with them,
it is not healthy. The average northerner is
looked upon in a very funny way and as an
illiterate. We have been swallowing it. What does
that depict? We have learned people in the North
just like in any other part of the country.
What do you think made the ACF end up backing
the Arewa youth leadership ?
The position we took is simple because, we are
not fighting. If it is Biafra you want, always put
your cards on the table. If you want to break
away, you are not satisfied with the marriage
and unity, okay, please, start moving, there is no
fight in it.
Your quit notice followed the May 30 sit-at
home. Does sitting at home to mourn the dead
violate any law of the land?
To mourn the death of whom?
Those who died during the Biafra war
What we are talking about is beyond that sit at
home thing. The average northerner
accommodates a lot of stress and pains and
silent insults from other parts of the country
especially in the South…
Is the North marginalized?
Every part of this country is marginalized
because it is either you are in the system or not.
Do you agree that Igbo should have the
Sovereign State of Biafra?
If they can manage and there is no war about it.
The three months quit notice has no inclination
of violence because violence is the worst thing
that comes up. We never said we are going to
use force. Do we have any weapon to use force?
Why did your group dare the police to arrest the
Arewa youth leaders?
As a policeman when you are given orders you
are supposed to function.
Your group, the Arewa consultative forum was a
part of the Arewa youth coalition, is that
correct?
Yes, it is.
And you are seeing absolutely nothing wrong in
the Kaduna declaration?
There is nothing wrong, there is nothing
abnormal in it.
Don’t you think that your statement could have
sparked some hatred somewhere, some violence
somewhere even though you said you meant no
violence?
Is anybody in this country praying for violence to
take place? You have freedom of speech.
Treason in such statement
Somebody has the right to say he wants to break
away from the country and nothing happens to
him and you have somebody who is just talking
about allowing him to go…
How do you see comments that the statement is
treasonable?
It is not treasonable. It is how you want to
interpret it. It cannot be treasonable if you
cannot say there is treason in the Biafran stand,
you shouldn’t turn round and say there is treason
in such statement.
So what does the north want?
The north wants peace. The north on its own is
fighting anything that is retrogressive to this
country’s progress especially the Arewa youths.
The police have issued statement that they are
going to arrest those who have issued this
statement because at the moment we do know
that Nnamdi Kanu is being tried for treason, he
is on bail and why should your group not be
arrested?
Who said our group should not be arrested? Did
any one of those people say they should not be
arrested, that they cannot be arrested?
You dared the police, it was reported that your
group dared the police to arrest them
If there is an order inviting somebody or if there
is an order of arrest coming from the court or
whatever or from the powers that be, then the
police have a duty to go and effect the arrest
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