Group vows to continue with protest
Deji Elumoye
The Presidency has advised a group known as Yoruba Nation, to be mindful of their relationship with the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, gave the warning yesterday in reaction to the protest that both groups staged at the United Nations headquarters in New York, on Tuesday.
Shehu, who noted that it was not unexpected for Nigerian diaspora groups to use the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to garner attention to their causes, however, said it was shocking, to see “Yoruba Nation” advocates unequivocally throwing their lot in with Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The presidential spokesman, while describing IPOB as a designated terrorist organisation, which regularly murdered security services and innocent civilians, opined that without doubt, Nigerians and the entire world would judge Yoruba Nation by the company it kept.
He said, “No one can take seriously this organisation if it continues its IPOB association. When their allies systematically trample human rights, it raises sober questions about their claims to uphold the values of the UN. The cooperation is a worrying development, once parsed with Yoruba Nation’s increasingly violent rallies in Nigeria. Actions and associations speak louder than words. Yoruba Nation’s talk of human rights promotion must therefore be ignored.”
Shehu further said the Nigerian government would continue its work at the UN to fight against corruption and illicit financial flows, and international cooperation and urged the media to work with the government and to also focus attention on the core issues the President has during his trip to the United Nations.
His words: “If we want to see stolen funds returned to their rightful home in Nigeria, the government must continue to campaign for and coordinate global action on asset recovery. The government will remain the leading regional actor in the fight against global terror – particularly against threats emanating from the Sahel. Through the Nigerian Technical Aid Corps programme, the country also shares technical expertise with countries from the Caribbean, Africa and the Pacific.
“At the same time, the administration is implementing a programme of environmental sustainability to combat developments, which destroys Nigerian communities in vulnerable regions. Only through the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development can we secure a prosperous future for Nigeria. As the largest country in Africa, the government takes seriously its leadership role and will continue to strive for continental unity, cooperation, and shared prosperity.”
However, reacting, the Yoruba Nation agitators and other self-determination groups have asked the Nigerian government not to tag their protest as an event organised by IPOB.
The spokesman of the Nigerian indigenous Nationalities Alliance for Self Determination (NINAS),Maxwell Adeleye, accused the presidency of attempting to use divide and rule tactics.
Adeleye said: “The ongoing NINAS March opposite the United Nations Headquaters in New York has now caused the Nigerian Presidency a serious headache
“We put the Fulani Oligarchy on notice that the biggest March is holding on 24th September, the day President Buhari will address the United Nations General Assembly.
“While we respect their rights to association and loyalty to their beliefs, we want to state very expressly, again, that NINAS or Ilana Omo Oodua has nothing whatsoever to do with IPOB.
“Garba Shehu should stop this unintelligent attempt to play divide and rule game. He merely wanted to paint the struggle bad which has failed.
“Nigerian Government should address our six-point demands – Abolition of 1999 Constitution, conduct a Referendum, end to Fulani Genocide, Declaration of Miyyeti Allah a Terrorist Organisation, Etc and stop being petty.”
The group vowed to stage a march on September 24 when the President Muhammadu Buhari, will address the 76th Session of the high-level General Debate of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York.
“For Nigerian diaspora groups to use the world’s largest platform – the United Nations General Assembly – to garner attention to their causes is not unexpected.
