A group, Southern Professional Youths (SPY) has taken up the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) over its recent verbal attack on Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
The ACF had criticised Osinbajo over his charge that the country could break if the unhealthy cracks were not addressed during a church service to mark the 60th Independence Anniversary in Abuja.
The ACF warned Osinbajo’s statement could worsen tensions in the polity, asking him to be more circumspect with his pronouncements.
But the Southern Professional Youths carpeted the ACF for taking on the Vice President, who they said was merely stating the obvious. A statement by its national coordinator Chris Eke said Osinbajo should be commended and not slammed for his bold admonition.
“It is amusing that we hate people who speak the truth without minding whose ox is gored. What the Vice President was an admonition to those nurturing seeds of discords that the country could disintegrate. It was more of a warning than a declaration or wish. The vice president should be commended, if anything, for warning against disintegration. It is all clear to us that Nigeria is seriously fragmented and a warning should not qualify a well-meaning person like Osinbajo for aspersion.”
The youths said groups like ACF were responsible for the deep division and suspicion in the polity.
“ACF and many other ethnic groups view every pronouncement, how matter well-meaning from the tribal point of view. It doesn’t matter who speaks the truth as long as he or she does not belong to an ethnic arrangement they are comfortable with.It is group like ACF that Osinbajo was begging not to tear Nigeria apart. He should be commended for his boldness and good advice. Men like Osinbajo in power are rare because they don’t gloss over issues but seek to address them frontally. We need such boldness and clarity to move Nigeria to the Promised Land.”