Okwe Obi, Abuja
Peace builders under the aegis of Coalition of South East Peace Practitioners Network (SOEAPAT), have said religion and ethnic sentiments, have contributed in fueling the ongoing N#EndSARS protest.
This is even as it frowned at the destruction of public buildings and rampant killings noting that those vices were not part of reason for the agitation.
SOEAPAT Zonal Chairman, Dr Obi Chibuzor, and Legal Adviser, Amadi Ojukwu, in a statement, further commended Northern youth for maintaining peaceful disposition, and urged the governors to engage them in peaceful campaign in order for them not to witness the carnage going on in other parts of the country.
Chibuzor said: “For us to defeat this long-time hatred sold to us by some enemies of peace and unity of our country through religious and ethnic sentiments, we must distinguish criminality and collective action of a people.
“Once we are able to separate that, we will work together to defeat any evil and crisis merchants like it’s the case now.
“The way the youths conducted themselves in the North this time around in the midst of some provocative falsehood on social media to incite the people against the Igbo tribe by some merchants of crises is quite commendable.
“This goes to show that our youths are now ready to take leadership of the country.
“They deserve accolade for their peaceful disposition, patience, maturity and perfect understanding during this trying period of our dear nation.
“Naturally, by now, there would have been violent response targeted at Igbo people and businesses around the North, but to the glory of God, the northern youths with the help of the elders and ulamas disappointed the crises merchants by remaining peaceful.”
On the alleged utterances by the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, he said: “We want to completely disassociate ourselves from Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and all his ideologies. We are happy that all the well-meaning Ndigbo groups and peace lovers have taken similar position to disown him.
“While we must state here again that we have been marginalized overtime even before the administration of President Mohammadu Buhari, we kindly appeal to our people to be patient, calm, and press home our demands for inclusiveness legitimately and not to demand for cessation.”