The Northern Elders’ Forum, NEF, has reiterated its commitment in fighting to keep Nigeria a united entity.
NEF also said that those agitating for secession were agents of disunity.
The forum said it was unfortunate that some elders in the region were making some unguarded comments worthy of causing chaos in the country.
Leader of the forum, Dr. Paul Unongo spoke when he led the forum in a condolence visit to the Kano Sstate governor Umar Ganduje over the death of former convener of the forum, Yusuf Maitama Sule.
He said, “It is unfortunate that at this moment, such unguided remarks are coming out from supposedly elders of the region.”
Unongo said those seeking to balkanize the country had lost touch with the prevailing realities on ground.
He said such persons were not acting on behalf of the forum and lacked the legitimacy to be recognized.
He pointed out that the bitter lessons of the nation’s civil war had made “every responsible and patriotic Nigerian to oppose any move aimed at putting Nigeria asunder.’’
According to Onongu, the forum was “no safe haven of those whose penchant for disunity is on a crude pedestal, regardless of the consequences of their campaign of attrition.
“An evidence of our commitment as one northern entity and to sustain the legacy left behind by Danmasanin is the decision of my colleagues in the Forum to trust me with its leadership.”
