The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders have asked President President Muhammadu Buhari to stop playing Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt.
The group stated this while reacting to what they described as “very uncouth and rude warning” issued by Garba Shehu against patriotic organisations and responsible individuals like the respected Pastor E.A. Adeboye.
The group in a jointly signed statement by Yinka Odumakin South West, Chief Guy Ikokwu South East, Senator Bassey Henshaw South South and Dr Isuwa Dogo Middle Belt, said they were perturbed that instead of giving assurances about rebuilding the country towards inclusivity, the regime was talking down on Nigeria in very intemperate language.
“The attention of Southern and Middle Belt Leaders has been drawn to the very uncouth and rude warning issued by Garba Shehu against patriotic organisations and responsible individuals like the respected Pastor E.A. Adeboye that this government should restructure the country to avert a break – up. Sounding like spokesman of Pharaoh in Ancient Egypt, Garba dismissed the recurring agitations as unpatriotic outbursts.
“We are perturbed that instead of giving assurances about rebuilding the country towards inclusivity, the regime is talking down on Nigeria in very intemperate language.
“We want to make it clear to the regime that it cannot cow us by using cantonment approach to national issues. We will not accept turning us to second class citizens on our land not even with threats of arrests or assassinations.
“Should we be clapping for the government and not talk when the Customs appoints 8 Deputy Comptrollers from a section of the country? Are we expected to be saying well done when DSS recruits 535 cadets from Northwest and North East and only 93 from the entire South and Noth Central?
“Are we to keep quiet when the law setting up PENCOM was clear on succession at Directors level, you go and bring somebody from North East to replace a South East eased out DG?
“If Garba Shehu is not lexically challenged, he should know that those calling for restructuring are more patriotic than those running Nigeria towards implosion, Patriotism is to corporate Nigeria for all and not the sectional idea of Nigeria by the nepotists.
“We will not succumb to their narrow idea of Nigeria fully assured that this too shall come to pass.
“Therefore, let us restructure now and withdraw from the path of implosion forewarned by patriots at home and abroad,” the statement read.
