The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar 111, Monday, expressed worry over the increasing agitation for a Biafra republic by some Igbo groups, adding that the northern traditional council would soon send a delegation to Igbo leaders in the South East over the issue.
The Sultan spoke at the second General Assembly of the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council in Kaduna.
The Sultan, who chairs the council, said millions of Igbo resident in all parts of the country were against the Biafra agitation, hence, the need to send delegates for a dialogue to allow peace to reign.
“We are very much concerned about this issue because we know we have millions of millions of Igbo residing with us in our homes, in our towns, in our states, very peacefully, very industrious, helping our communities and our economy to grow and so many of them as we know, keep telling us that they have nowhere else to live than where they are presently living.
“Since we have this coordination with millions and millions of them, what is happening now is a thing of concern to us and we believe we should look at this issue and most likely set up a small committee of senior traditional rulers to go to South-East and engage our brothers there (traditional rulers) so that we will know how we can come in to stop this agitation,” the Sultan said.
He, however, commended some Igbo leaders and governors who, according to him, did not support the agitation, adding that it must be condemned totally because, ‘we believe in dialogue, whatever the problem is with anybody, we believe we should sit down and discuss and a solution will be found.’
Sultan Abubakar also used the platform of the meeting to condole with the people of Kogi, Benue and the entire country over the death of former Governor Abubakar Audu, the demise of Tor-Tiv, Alfred Torkula, respectively, as well as the loss of Nigerian pilgrims during this year’s hajj in Saudi Arabia.
Also speaking at the meeting, the Governor of Adamawa State, Umar Jibrila Bindow, raised alarm over the influx of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from neighbouring countries including Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad and Niger, describing it as ‘strange’.
On his part, Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has also called on the traditional rulers to explore employment opportunities particularly in agriculture.
Mallam el-Rufai said Nigeria currently spends more than half of its foreign revenue on importation of food and fuel, stressing that the sad situation limits opportunities for citizens of the Northern region.
“We live in a nation that spends more than half of its foreign exchange earnings on importing food and fuel,” said el-Rufai.
