By Abdullahi Hassan, Zaria

The spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, has said that the north would give the peace move initiated by the Federal Government to resolve the face-off between the region and the South East over the quit notice issued Igbo a chance.
The NEF spokesman said the north would support the peace initiative because it believed strongly in the unity of the country. “ We remain resolute to the unity of Nigeria, but whoever feels he wants to quit should quit peacefully without jeopardising the life of anybody,’’ said Abdullahi.
He added: “As elders, the forum would not instigate Northern youths to cause any tension neither will we reject any positive initiative of the youths that would bring about respect, integrity and prospect to the North. We are trying to follow the foot steps of our late fathers, the Sardauna of Sokoto, Tafawa Balewa, Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe who all died for their people.”
Although he said the Forum’s backing for the Arewa youths’ quit notice to Igbo to leave the north by October 1, remained, Prof Abdullahi told Saturday Sun in Zaria: “ I am hopeful that if the president has finished his consultations with South- east, South – west and South-South leaders and a collective decision is reached all other outstanding issues can be resolved amicably.”
He said that: “ Already , the MASSOB led by Ralph Uwazuruike, has approached Northern Elders with the request to intervene and asked the youths to leave Igbo alone, as well as other meaningful Nigerians. But you see, the problem is not only with the Northern youths, even Oduduwa people in the South-west have issued similar quit notice. So, it is a complex issue, which must be tackled with care, honesty and sincerity’’.
He observed that the Northern youths, like the Oduduwa group, did not make any threat to life, insult or make inciting statements, adding: “ The notice is like any other quit notice which can be claimed or contested by anybody.”
Professor Abdullahi said it was unfortunate that some Nigerian elite tried to politicise the northern youths action, saying it “threatened national unity, forgetting the fact that Biafra agitators had issued many threat messages to northern community in the East, without anybody ever talking about it.”