Troubled by the increase in the intensity of agitation in the southeast of Nigeria, the Arewa Youth Development Foundation (AYDF) has charged northern elders to take a stand regarding the pressing issue.
The AYDF has written to the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) to act quickly and take a position in reaction to alleged humiliation of northerners in the east by the Igbo Biafra activists.
According to the group, it has made a decision to convey a meeting of all northern youth groups in Kano in a few days time.
The aim of the meeting is to review the commitment of northern leaders’ actions on their previous communication in respect of the agitation by the Igbos.
Leadership reports that the group declared their position in a letter jointly signed by Aliyu Usman of the AYDF, Aminu Adams of the Arewa Citizens Action for Change (ACAC), Bridget Cantiop Yahya of the Northern Emancipation Network (NEN), Comrade Yusuf Muhammed of the Arewa Students Forum (ASF) and Terkular J. Bishama of Arewa Youth Vanguard (AYV).
The letter was made available to newsmen in Kaduna at the weekend.
The AYDF stressed that the meeting will mount pressure on all Igbos residing or carrying out business in any part of the north to relocate east and all northerners in the east to do likewise.
The statement further added that the meeting will map out plans for widespread and sustained protest.
This the group claims is aimed at ensuring that severance of the present federal arrangement is stopped.
Meanwhile, the federal government has been warned by Ijaw leaders to avoid the use of force in their bid to still the protest by separatists within the southeastern region of the country.
