South West Group Expresses Worry Over Attacks On Northerners; Backs President Buhari's Administration

A south West group, The Oduduwa United Frontiers has expressed concerns over what it described as attacks on public officials of northern extraction by people from other sections of the country.

Addressing journalists in Lagos, National president of the group, Kolawole Abe decried what he said are campaign of calumny against aides of President Muhammadu Buhari that have been proven to be emanating from the south west allied coalition of civil society groups and other eminent Nigerians, saying is totally unacceptable.

According to him, if this is allowed to continue, no region in the country will again trust the Yorubas enough to want to enter into any political arrangement with the South West in the foreseeable future.

He said the region appreciates Mr. President and the youths who voted him in 2015 are ready to support his policies and therefore should consider the vituperations of a certain few minority as sponsored goons who are out to justify their payments.

Going down memory lane, he said the way the Yoruba fought against the odds to bring this government into power became the stuff of legend.

According to Him, the expectation was that the Yorubas would be adequately recognised and compensated for this noble role.

He said, "We were however forced to confront the reality that the Yoruba are one of the many ethnic configurations in the country just as the South West is one of six geo-political zones in the nation. It was therefore impossible that we will have all the position available for occupation simply because we were pivotal to the government’s emergence. The other geo-political zones, even the ones that opposed the government are equally deserving of having political appointees in the spirit of federal character, which is of course tempered by competence."

He said further, "it is therefore frightening that some of our political leaders in the south west, and surprisingly from the APC, have since launched and sustained a quiet war of attrition against our compatriots in public office from the north. The accusations against these otherwise excellent Nigerians have been made to look like they are evil men.

"As the northern public officers being so accused continually shake of such trumped up allegations, it is President Buhari’s administration that is increasingly looking bad from attacks launched against his aides from within his own political party.

From what we understand, these our south west leaders want to criminalised and demonise northern public office holders to the point where Mr President is forced to drop them and pave the way for them to send in their own loyalists.

"This will explain the reason for the intensity of the way these northerners are being maligned simply for serving the nation. They have run a consistent rota and the latest on the chopping block is the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazzau who they are desperately attempting to tarnish with the now worn out allegation of corruption. Before then it as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai."

He therefore urged those he described as selfish leaders to desist from this their evil trade.

He said where they wish to continue attacking or demonising the north they must be bold enough to openly place disclaimers that they commit their evil without the endorsement of the Yoruba race and the consequent benefits if for their own selfish gain and not for the South West.