The letter, which was signed by five leaders of the group insisted that the principle of self-determination has, since World War II become a part of the United Nations Charter which states in Article 1(2), that one of the purposes of the UN is “to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples”.
The Presidency has reacted to Arewa youths letter to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, urging him to allow agitation for Biafra to succeed through peaceful means.
According to the Presidency, the ongoing consultations with leaders of thoughts and traditional rulers from the North and Southeastern regions of the country, following the escalation of ethnic tensions occasioned by the agitation for Biafra and the vacation order issued by Northern youths for Igbo to quit the North, was the best way to approach the issue.
A top presidential source who pleaded not to be named told Daily Sun that, “our response is the ongoing consultations, Mr. Acting President is engaged in with leaders of thoughts from both regions, it is the best way to get everyone to see reason. The Presidency doesn’t want to escalate the matter by responding to individual groups. The ongoing parley is the best approach.”
The coalition of northern youth groups that recently gave all Igbo persons resident in the north three months ultimatum to vacate region had in a letter on Monday urged Osinbajo to allow agitation for Biafra to succeed through peaceful means.
The group, in an open letter to the acting president urges him to take “steps to facilitate the actualization of the nation in line with the principle of self-determination as an integral part of contemporary customary international law”.
The coalition while commending Osinbajo for initiating series of discussions with leaders from the north and south east, however, said going by recent events, the talks would not yield any positive results.
The letter, which was signed by five leaders of the group insisted that the principle of self-determination has, since World War II become a part of the United Nations Charter which states in Article 1(2), that one of the purposes of the UN is “to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples”.
“We submit that this protocol envisages that people of any nation have the right to self-determination, and although the Charter did not categorically impose direct legal obligations on member States; it implies that member States allow agitating or minority groups to self-govern as much as possible,” they said.
