By Ujah Simon, Kadunaa
Ex President Shehu Shagari”s Adviser on national assembly matters who is now the Chairman Northern Elders Council (NEC) Elder Tanko Takasai has revealed why the north did not take part in the ENDSARS Protest that almost almost rocks the booth.
Yakasai, the first republic politician who. made the revelation in an interview with correspondent said the north did not participated in Anti-Nigeria activities since the 1953 rioting because of its commitment to the unity of the country.”EndSARS protest is a slogan given to agitation for breaking up of Nigeria, that has been on for the past two years and more. And this is what most Nigerians understand it to be.
“And that is why most of them did not involve themselves in the demonstration. As you had seen, the demonstration was limited to very few areas. Out the 36 states there are vertically not more than 10 states that were involved. Even those states, it was limited to some parts of it, largely because of the locations where relief materials were stored in other to steal from it”, he said.
According to him, the only area where more people came out in number was Lagos, in ikoyi, Victoria island and Lekki where the riches are living, adding that most of the participants were those looking for opportunity to loots. “But is good that it happened because people who think they can use media – newspapers and television to incite people to break up their Nation are now woefully disappointed because they couldn’t succeed in getting majority of Nigeria even to buy their ideas. It has helped and has shown that agitators for breaking up Nigeria are tiny minority among Nigerians”, he added..
Elder Takasai noted that “Right from 1953 rioting to date the north did not participate in any anti Nigeria activities because of their commitment to the unity of Nigeria. “Anti Nigeria, Infact the anti Nigeria sentiment is more wide spread in Southwest than even in the southeast.
“Even in the South West it is more supported or accepted by followers and supporters of the defunct Action Group, (AG).As you know the southwest is divided into two from the beginning: the NCNC and AC parties. “This division continue to manifest itself in the region even from second republic when there was UPN and NPN.
So is not the entire southwest that accepted the notion that Nigeria should be destroy as a country”, he narrated.
He continue that “Now I’m glad that they have seen the limit that their propaganda can go even in the southwest. I’ve been a member of NEPU, a political party that commit itself right from 1951 when the party had it first convention, for the creation of more region at that time in Nigeria, and I’m still in support of that, just to give minority elements right of self determination. The last conference convened by Jonathan administration took a definite position on the issues of the number of regions Nigeria have at moment. We can start with that point of view”, he said.
According to him, the only thing new in the demand or agitation of the ENDSARS youth protesters was that of the banning of SARS, which he said, government immediately cede to that demand. He also said most of other demands made by the youths are contained in the 2014 Confab, adding that whatever the weakness “Nigeria is going through, the recommendation of the Confab capture them, if you look through it. We captured all the recommendation of other conference. And most of the recommendations of other conferences were addressed in 2014 Confab recommendation.
“We’ve a democratic government in place in the country, elected by the people. It does not matter whether you like the faces of the people or not, they’re elected. What we’ve in Nigeria is the 1999 constitution used in Nigeria.
It’s the supreme legal documents we have. So there’s nothing new in the protest that youth are saying from what is contained in 2014 Confab except the ban on ENDSARS thing which many Nigeria supported and government accepted.
“But certainly, we must have police in Nigeria. Government should look into the problem people complained, the problem caused by some undesirable elements in the police are still there. But the government is creating a new group one. Let us give it a chance. If there were problems in the past, it will not be repeated again, if not, let them stay.
