Leader of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Yerima Shettima, in an interview with Sunnewsonline, has stated that the Northern part of Nigeria is the most backward in the country despite having a northerner, Muhammadu Buhari as president of Nigeria.
“It is sad that today, our own is in-charge of almost all the security agencies, our own is the number one man, yet we are the most backward and the worst victims of the incessant and senseless killings, banditry and terrorism,” Shettima told Sunnewsonline.
” Today, the North is more at war than ever imagined; some people in the South have no idea of what the North is going through. More has to be done and we need to sit up and look at the security architecture of the country. We all as Nigerians must understand that the security of the country is collectively our business.
“The country needed to unify and act quick in order to prevent another civil war like what happened 51 years ago.
“Some of us were not born at the time of the civil war, but from what we read, those things that happened that led to the war were uncalled for and we shouldn’t have lost those souls that were lost.”
“That is why some of us of this generation continue to insist that the right things should be done so that we avoid plunging the country into another war.”
“If Nigeria should fall back into the same experiences of 51 years ago, the country may not survive it again. Fifty one years ago is a very long time and as we speak today, it is still very difficult to let go. The level of suspicion and division among us is getting worse by the day despite the forgiveness and other things. I pray that God should not allow us to experience again what happened 51 years ago.”
“But for that to happen, we must embrace two things; we must apply equity and we must ensure justice for all; that is the only way to avert another conflict.”
Responding to claims that the Southeast geopolitical zone still feels marginalised in the Nigerian polity, he said,
“First is that the South-East geopolitical zone must be determined and more focused. I have said several times that they cannot allow one person to continue threatening our unity in a country where we are still struggling to build a nation.”
“I believe the South East has very credible people among them, but they allow this man to talk anyhow and be their mouthpiece and the Southeast people do not in any way caution him.”
“We can’t be threatened; Nigeria cannot be threatened. The annoying thing is that he is not even in the country, and even when he was in the country, he did not make any impact. We are all witnesses to the militant group he formed and armed them; naturally, you don’t expect people to fold their hands and continue to watch.”