religious leadership in Northern Nigeria; the leadership of other socio-cultural groups in Northern Nigeria apart from the aforementioned; the Nigerian Governors Forum; and all the service branches to rise up with voices of peace and wisdom to counteract the mischievousness and exuberant excesses of the northern youth. The ugly lessons of history are too grim to be stoked with carelessness. As leaders, we must exert the full measure of our powers and influence to forestall a repetition.
7. We call on all our Igbo sons and daughters resident in Northern Nigeria to go about their lawful daily engagements without fear of intimidation, hindrance or molestation.
8. The rumours being peddled on conventional and social media platforms that we, the Governors of the South East, have met and agreed to mobilize vehicles and cash for the repatriation of Nd’Igbo resident in northern Nigeria must be disregarded, as they are nothing but tissues of lies. No amount of provocation would lead us to such a precipitate and and irresponsible action at this time. Those exploiting such vacuous tittle-tattle as a basis for divisive rhetoric in public spaces are simply playing juvenile politics and we urge them to cease and desist.
9. Long live Ndi Igbo! Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
Signed:
Engr. David Nweze Umahi
Governor of Ebonyi State and
Chairman of South East Governors Forum
