Shettima meets northern elders, youths, seeks withdrawal of Oct 1 deadline to Igbos

The Northern Governors represented by Governor of Borno State and Chairman
of their forum, Kashim Shettima on Wednesday met with a group of
Northern elders and Arewa coalition leaders. The parley was in continuation of efforts to ensure withdrawal of October 1 quit notice against Igbos living in the North.

The meeting which began at about 2:30pm lasted till 6:30‎pm at the Borno Governor’s lodge in Asokoro, Abuja behind closed doors.

Details of the meeting were contained in a statement Wednesday night by Shettima’s spokesman, Isa Gusau.

“The meeting, which is the third since July was at the instance of
some Northern Governors who mandated Shettima to engage the coalition
with a view to preventing possible outbreak of violence in the event
hoodlums take advantage of quit notice to perpetuate violence by the
time the ultimatum expires on October 1”.

“The meeting was attended by members of the Northern elders forum:
Professor Ango Abdullahi, Alhaji Sani Zango Daura, Air Marshall Al-Amin
Daggash, AVM Mukhtar Mohammed, Professor Yima Sen and Dr Hakeem Baba
Ahmed who represented the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation.

“Key leaders of the coalition of Arewa groups, Yerima Shettima, Ashir
Sherrif, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, Aminu Adam, Balarabe Rufai and leaders
of other groups in the coalition all attended.

“The meeting ended on positive note while the Arewa coalition is
expected to meet members of the AbdulSalami Abubakar led National Peace
Committee who invited them for a meeting” Gusau added.

Shettimaa and the elders also spoke extensively on serious problems
bedevilling the northern Nigeria especially those concerning Boko Haram
insurgency, backwardness in education resulting for high level of out of
school children roaming as Almajiri.

The leaders offered far reaching suggestions which they requested
Governor Shettima to convey to his colleagues in the northern Governors
Forum.

Governor Shettima previously held three separate meetings with
leaders of the Arewa coalition in Kaduna, Abuja and Maiduguri before
Wednesday’s meeting that included elders.

The Arewa coalition is expected to make its decision public at a date to be determined by members of the coalition.