A pan-Igbo group, The Igbo Conscience (TIC), has condemned the ultimatum issued by a coalition of Northern youth groups to Igbo people leaving in the Northern part of the country to return to their home states by October 1O.
The group also condemned previous provocative statements by the Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB), saying the are as unacceptable as the quit order issued by Northern youths to the Igbo. TIC made its position known in a statement signed by Messrs. Monday Ubani and Peter Claver-Oparah, Interim Chairman and Secretary respectively.
"We believe in the peace, unity, and togetherness of every Nigerian and we believe such statements divide Nigerians and should not be encouraged.
TIC commends critical segments of the Northern Society for unequivocally condemning and disowning the declaration of the Arewa Youths. We salute the Kaduna State Governor, the Northern Governors Forum and of course, right-thinking Northern groups for disowning the position of the Arewa Youths and we see their positions as healthy for the growth of peace and unity in the country. We salute their courage in taking firm positions against the so-called Kaduna Declaration. We charge South East Governors, groups and stakeholders to learn good lessons from this as their silence and acquiesce to the activities of IPOB helped create wrong impressions that spur such groups as Arewa Youths to believe Igbo support the negative activities and statements from IPOB," TIC said.
The group also demanded the arrest and prosecution of members of groups that stir hate, ethnic and sectional disharmony. It reiterated its belief in a united Nigeria that benefits the Igbo and every other citizen equally and opposes political interests hiding under sectional cloaks to cause disharmony.
