The former Commissioner for Information in Niger State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, has described the mass migration of northern youths to the southern part of Nigeria as a disgrace and shame on northern leaders.
He blamed them for being insensitive to the needs of their people in tackling the myriads of problems currently confronting the region such as insecurity, and extreme poverty ravaging the north.
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Vatsa, who was a former Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, apparently reacting to the recent arrest of over 200 northern youths, mostly from Katsina State last week in Minna, argued that the influx of northern youths to the south only go to show that the leaders have failed in their responsibilities to the people.He insisted that this was what the former Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi was hammering on, but the leaders in the north ganged up against him, warning that the region is sitting on a time bomb waiting to explode, if nothing is done fast to address the situation.
According to him, “The northern leaders created poverty to oppress their people. They use the people as political thugs to achieve their political ambition. The poverty in the north is manmade and the leaders are enjoying it, but it will surely consume all of us if it is not addressed”
“The youths will soon realize it and there will be no hiding place for all of us. And, the situation in the region is capable of triggering a revolution. A hungry and insecure man is an angry man.”
The former state Publicity Secretary of the Niger APC, also debunked claims the migrants are Almajirais, pointing out that “they are able youths looking for a greener pasture and trying to escape the killings and the extreme poverty in the north.”
“Leaving the north will no doubt affect food production in the region because what is happening is a deviation from the usual practice where these youths return home during farming season and go back to do menial jobs after the planting season”.
On the reconciliation efforts of the party, Vatsa noted, “I am not a prophet of doom but I doubt if the APC can survive this crisis everywhere, including my state, Niger. There will be no genuine reconciliation in the party.”
He maintained that the efforts of the party would end in futility just as the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Reconciliation Committee in the run-off to the 2019 general elections failed to yield the desired fruits.
He added “This was why the party lost Zamfara, Rivers, Adamawa and Benue States. This will be another effort in futility, because, at the end of the day, nothing will come out of it.”
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK