Arewa group decries comments on Atiku, warns against insult to northern elders

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Atiku Abubakar

The Arewa Youth Grand Alliance (AYGA) has condemned Progressive Youth Alliance’s (PYA) disparaging remark on the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

The AYGA, in a statement by its president, Alhaji Inuwa Idris, frowned at one Mr. Abdullahi Marusa, the Secretary-General of Katsina State PYA, who described the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumin Usman; Atiku Abubakar and Dr. Usman Bugaje, as “political opportunists.”

The group said that Marusa’s outburst is to say the least incredibly callous, ridiculous, uncharitable and unbecoming of northern tradition where the youths hold leaders and constituted authority in high esteem.

The AYGA noted that Marusa must be doing the bidding of Mr. Nastura Ashir Sharif and Yarima Shattema, who both championed the ill-fated “quit notice” to Igbo in the northern part of the country.

It maintained that the duo lack requisite moral ground to speak for and on behalf of the North in view of their divisive tendencies.

“We remind the duo of Sharif and Yarima to note that by whatever standard, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who has been Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria and Dr. Usman Bugaje, a respected academic and political leader, deserve respect and courtesy in keeping with the cherished tradition and culture of the North. There is no community on earth that is built on disrespect to leaders and elders.

“As youths, we must be careful that we do not cultivate a culture of destruction and disrespect for our community value. The antics of resorting to blackmailing some northern personalities into submission are not going to work. Many from other regions have tried it on many northern leaders since pre-school, during and post-independence and all failed.

“If Sharif and his foot-soldiers are willing cannon fodder in the hands of such enemies of Arewa to be used to destabilise the region, we make bold to say they will fail as we will resist them. As young people, if tomorrow you assume position of leadership, how would you want to be treated?”