Northerners in South East, South South commit to promoting peaceful coexistence

By IFEOMA AKA

Northern Nigerians living in South-East and South-South Geopolitical Zones have pledged to maintain and promote peaceful coexistence.

The citizens made the pledge under the aegis of Northern Traders Association and Northern Friends Neighbourhood Association.

They also promised to ensure meaningful engagement of the unemployed among them to reduce insecurity.

These are some resolutions reached by the two associations during a meeting on Wednesday in Enugu.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Legal Adviser to Northern Traders Association, Enugu State, Mr Muhammadu Akdoi, said that the association was worried at the activities of unemployed youths who roamed the streets.

He said that the activities of the unemployed were affecting their perception and threatening some businesses in the zones.

Akdoi said that the association would avoid destruction of goodwill of its members.

He said that the association would deepen acceptance in the zones.

According to him, the association would continue to cooperate with state governments in the South East and South South as a way of cementing relationship and understanding.

Mr Ahmed Saidu, Acting Chairman of Northern Friends Neighbourhood Association in South East and South South, said that the association was formed to promote cooperation and unity among northerners in the zones.

“The reason for us forming this association is that, sometimes, we do not have our people’s contacts to know where they come from.

“This platform has promoted relationship and made us to familiarise ourselves so that whenever things happen, we can call each other from different states and places.

“Again, we have people from the north, who package themselves without having anything doing.

“They will be stranded, walking around and doing unnecessary things; we are not really happy about it.

“We want to talk to the people coming from the North: before you come, you must have something doing and be law-abiding,” he said. (NAN)