By: Admin
Reactions are now trailing the call by the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, AYCF, for the arrest of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe.
Igbo Renaissance Forum, a pan Igbo movement, vehemently condemned the call by AYCF, for the minority leader in the Senate, to be arrested.
Recall that the AYCF, in its reaction to the court order to detain Senator Ali Ndume for failing to produce Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman of the defunct Pension Task Team in court, had questioned the authorities’ refusal to arrest Senator Abaribe who stood as surety for Nnamdi Kanu.
The group in a statement signed by its International Coordinator, Nze Ugo-Akpe Onwuka (Oyi), said it was baseless comparing Abaribe’s situation with that of Ndume.
The statement reads, “We wish to express our deepest disappointment at the grossly unfortunate call by the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, for the arrest of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe following the order of a court to remand Senator Ali Ndume in Kuje Correctional Centre, over his failure to produce Maina in court.
“We want to unequivocally state that such a hatchet job by a Youth organization is a terrible development at this stage of our national life.
“It is sad that Alhaji Yerima Shettima is still stuck in his tribal quandary, and has been so blinded to see things from objective and realistic national perspectives.
“It is sad and heartbreaking that the instead of commending the court for taking such an action that would deter other looters in the Nigerian state in line with the Federal Government’s push for zero tolerance to corruption, this youth leader veered dangerously off course and started making demands that ultimately makes corruption look like a noble venture.
“We would not hesitate to advise Alhaji Yerima Shettima to retrace his steps and cease from being used as a hatchet man.
“We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to take immediate actions to prevent the desecration of the judiciary by such unguarded and vexatious narratives from tribally sequestered minds.
“It is very pertinent to note that if such rhetorics are ignored and those who propagate such divisive and unintelligent narratives are allowed to go scot free, it would surely embolden such myopic and tribally twisted elements to rubbish the judiciary and other arms of government in future.
“IGBO RENAISSANCE FORUM demands that Alhaji Yerima Shettima be made to withdraw his putrid statement which goes to paint the judiciary in a very terrible light.
“Comparing the case of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe to that of Senator Ali Ndume is a classical case of comparing apples to oranges, and this can only happen where intelligence has been suspended based on pecuniary interests.
“Finally, we want to state that we would not stand by and watch hired hands raise questionable issues with the ultimate aim of targeting Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe for harassment.”
Also, the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, has said people of the Southeast would resist any attempt to arrest Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe for standing surety for Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
MASSOB was reacting to a remark by the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, AYCF, calling for Abaribe’s arrest.
AYCF National President, Yerima Shettima made the call after an Abuja court ordered the arrest of Senator Ali Ndume over Maina Abdulrasheed, who jumped bail.
However, MASSOB’s leader, Uche Madu faulted the statement by AYCF.
Madu lamented that AYCF was always a willing tool of destruction in the hands of their leaders.
According to Madu: “Maina was being charged over allegations of corruption and looting public funds when he was the chairman of the defunct National Pension Task Team.
“He was also accused of laundering money meant for aged pensioners. He can, therefore, never be compared with Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB.
“Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe’s surety for Nnamdi Kanu was a unanimous decision of Ndigbo; it was not a personal venture.
“The treasonable and felonious court case against Nnamdi Kanu is closed because the Nigerian government knows it has no evidence against him. Therefore, any attempt to arrest Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe will be resisted by Ndigbo.
“MASSOB will never allow Arewa people to play the hypocritical game of pulling down the best leaders of Ndigbo in the name of politics.”
