Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, has told Igbos residing in the North not to panic, saying they are free to live anywhere in Nigeria.
Umahi urged northern leaders to take actions that would counter the plan of the youths.
”We must call on all serious-minded patriots, particularly the religious leadership in Northern Nigeria; the leadership of other socio-cultural groups in Northern Nigeria; the Nigerian Governors Forum; and all the service branches to rise up with voices of peace and wisdom to counteract the mischievousness and exuberant excesses of the northern youth.
”The ugly lessons of history are too grim to be stoked with carelessness. As leaders, we must exert the full measure of our powers and influence to forestall a repetition,” he said.
The Ebonyi State governor also dismissed news making rounds that the South East Governors Forum resolved to send buses to evacuate Igbos in the north.
”The rumours being peddled on conventional and social media platforms that we, the governors of the Southeast have met and agreed to mobilise vehicles and cash for repatriation of Ndigbo resident in Northern Nigeria must be disregarded, as they are nothing but tissues of lies.
”No amount of provocation would lead us to such precipitate and irresponsible action at this time.
”Those exploiting such vacuous tittle-tattle as a basis for divisive rhetoric in public spaces are simply playing juvenile politics and we urge them to cease and desist,” he stated.