No quit notice to northerners will work in the Niger Delta – Ex-militant warns

- Former militant commander, Israel Akpodoro, is not in support of the quit notice issued by some Niger Delta youths to northerners to quit the zone by October 1, 2017

- He said the country is presently calling for peace, hence it is not acceptable for any section of the country to issue quit notice to others to leave their place of residence against their wish

- He said the quit notice was given by disgruntled youths just as he said the quit notice given to Igbos by Northern youths was madness taken too far

President of National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators, Israel Eshanekpe Akpodoro, has said that the quit notice issued to Northerners residing in the Niger Delta region to vacate the zone before October 1, 2017 was a joke of the season, insisting that the quit notice was given by disgruntled youths in the region.

Legit.ng reports that a group of Niger Delta former militants had, during the weekend, given a 90-day-ultimatum to Northerners living in any part of the region to go their ways, warning that should they ignore the three months’ notice given to them, they should be ready to face dire consequences.

They also stated that oil blocs in the region owned by Northerners who have continuously milked the region for their benefit must be handed over to indigenes of the region and vacate the area for good.

The decision was reached following the quit notice earlier given by Arewa youths to Igbos resident in the North to vacate the entire northern states and return to the south east, their home states latest October 1, 2017.

READ ALSO: As tension heightens over quit notice to Igbos, Niger Delta militants demands return of oil blocs owned by Northerners

The youths are angry that Northerners are feeding fat on oil from the south but gave quit notice to south easterners to vacate their region.

But Akpodoro, in an email to Legit.ng, said members of his coalition were committed to the unity and peaceful co-existence among Nigerians, noting that no individual or group could divide Nigeria, cause chaos or hold the nation to ransom for whatever reason.

This was the outcome of a well-attended mid-year meeting of ex-militants and youths of the Niger Delta region in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, on Monday.

The group, in its resolve, insisted that against the call by those it described as disgruntled youths in the region for oil majors to vacate the region, said nothing of such will happen, even as he assured the oil and gas companies operating in the region to disabuse their minds from the threats of the idle youths.

He described the threats of the youths as empty and bear-footed threats by idle youths who relish in crisis to earn their living.

Akpodoro said the leadership of his group was working hard to nip any crisis in the bud just as he warned youths of other regions to desist from making statements that could provoke youths in the Niger Delta.

According to him, there's strength in the peace and unity of the country as it called on Nigerians of Igbo extraction to stop playing the victims and work hard in partnership with other regions to realise their political ambition of producing the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the next political dispensation.

He stressed that the bane of the South east was misplacement of priorities and disdain for other ethnic nationalities, saying the Igbos have been the major beneficiaries of Nigeria's unity.

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The Urhobo - born ex-warlord stated that the nation has the challenges of competing in the global politics as it concerns growth and development of her citizens and that all that was needed was for every Nigerian to contribute their quota to national development rather than seeking to destroy the country with inflammatory comments.

He described the quit notice issued the Igbos in the Nigeria's northern region by coalition of Arewa youths as madness taken too far adding that no amount of provocation should lead to threats by any section of the country against the other.

He added that the 30 months Nigerian civil war was enough lesson for all Nigerians to learn and avoid actions that could ignite another session of crisis.

Meanwhile, Acting President Yemi Osibanjo has said that Nigeria will be better together than all the adjourning parts going their separate ways. Watch him on this Legit.ng video.

Source: Legit.ng