Yerima Shettima is the leader of Arewa Youth
Consultative Forum (AYCF). In this interview, he
stressed the need for equity and justice in the
polity and makes a case for devolution of powers.
Fifty one years after the Nigerian civil war, some
people fear another conflict may erupt because of
the situation of things in the country. What is your
take?
Some of us were not born at the time of the civil
war, but from what we read, those things that
happened that led to the war were uncalled for and
we shouldn’t have lost those souls that were lost.
That is why some of us of this generation continue
to insist that the right things should be done so that
we avoid plunging the country into another war. If
Nigeria should fall back into the same experiences
of 51 years ago, the country may not survive it
again. Fifty one years ago is a very long time and
as we speak today, it is still very difficult to let go.
The level of suspicion and division among us is
getting worse by the day despite the forgiveness
and other things. I pray that God should not allow
us to experience again what happened 51 years
ago. But for that to happen, we must embrace two
things; we must apply equity and we must ensure
justice for all; that is the only way to avert another
conflict.


The South-East geopolitical zone still feels
marginalised in the Nigerian polity, when would
they feel a sense of equity and justice in Nigeria?


First is that the South-East geopolitical zone must
be determined and more focused. I have said
several times that they cannot allow one person to
continue threatening our unity in a country where we
are still struggling to build a nation. I believe the
South East has very credible people among them,
but they allow this man to talk anyhow and be their
mouthpiece and the South East people do not in
any way caution him. We can’t be threatened;
Nigeria cannot be threatened. The annoying thing is
that he is not even in the country, and even when he
was in the country, he did not make any impact. We
are all witnesses to the militant group he formed
and armed them; naturally, you don’t expect people
to fold their hands and continue to watch. I have
very close friends in the South East. How do we
explain to our people that it is not what they are
thinking? The South-East must begin to demonstrate
that because this Nnamdi Kanu is working to scuttle
their hopes and ambition.

But all Nnamdi Kanu did was to launch a regional
security outfit just like it exists in other parts of
the country?


Are you saying that Nnamdi Kanu has the
constitutional right to form a security outfit? What
he formed is a militant group, who gave him the
right to do that? He is the leader of a group that
has been constitutionally proscribed; are they
supposed to be talking? We should not be
sentimental about this.


What do you think of the current security situation
of the country under President Muhammadu
Buhari?


It is sad that today, our own is in-charge of almost
all the security agencies, our own is the number one
man, yet we are the most backward and the worst
victims of the incessant and senseless killings,
banditry and terrorism. Today, the North is more at
war than ever imagined; some people in the South
have no idea of what the North is going through.
More has to be done and we need to sit up and
look at the security architecture of the country. We
all as Nigerians must understand that the security of
the country is collectively our business. If security
is our collective business, it means the government
has to be open, people have to come together and
discuss so that we can build capacity and synergy
with the leaders of the communities; those in-
charge of the security architecture and the
government at large must come together.


What is the best way to go about building this
synergy?


It is simple, we cannot over centralise power at so
that everybody will have a stake in the country. It
must be a thing that has to be seen that it is not
only the Federal Government security that works. In
developed countries of the world, they don’t rely on
only the central security. They have community
policing. We must decentralise power security-wise,
economic-wise and even politically. When we
restructure the country, everybody will take
responsibility. But if you make it over attractive and
leave everything in Abuja, the centre cannot hold
because there is a limit to what Abuja can do. It is
obvious and clear that security-wise, economically
and politically, it cannot hold. But if you

decentralise and everybody is working at his pace, it
will encourage competition because everybody will
want to live fine. This agitation of who will be
president will not be there because the centre will
be less attractive; until we decentralize, we won’t
get it right.

January 15 was also the Armed Forces
Remembrance Day. How have the Nigerian armed
forces fared?


No matter how you look at it, we must commend
the Nigerian armed forces because it is not easy for
them and they put their lives on the line to keep us
safe. They suffer on daily basis; things are not as
we expect, but what is the number of the entire
Nigerian armed forces compared to the population
of the country? They are less than one million and
we are more than 200 million Nigerians, so how
many people will they protect? Already, there is
insecurity almost everywhere in the country; people
are redundant, nothing is working, no employment,
the schools are shut, the children are at home. The
entire armed forces are over-stretched -the Army,
Navy, Air force, the Police and the Civil defence,
they are all over-stretched. In as much as we are
not getting good results, we must also, to an extent
commend them because they are trying. I am not
holding brief for them, but we must find other
means to complement them.


What is your take on the calls for the replacement
of the Service chiefs?


I have said over and over that the Service chiefs
have run out of ideas; they have done their best and
we should not make the mistake of saying that
without these Service chiefs, we cannot move
forward. Other fresh people may even do better than
these. The pride of every father is to give birth to a
child that will do better than him. I am sure these
Service chiefs will be happy to be replaced by their
younger subordinates who may even do better than
them. But it is a great mistake for somebody to
think that we cannot do without these Service chiefs
and it is an insult to the country. I am sure that if
not for whoever approved the extension of their stay
in office, they would have preferred to retire.


What is your take on Bishop Hassan Kukah’s
statement that there would have been an uprising
if a non- Northern president had done what
President Buhari is doing?


It is unfair for him to say that. Non-Muslims have
toppled governments in Nigeria more than the
Muslims did. Look at history! Where is Gideon
Okar, where is Mamman Vasta, are they not non-
Muslims? Have you seen a Muslim topple a
Christian? Buhari was toppled by a Muslim; Muritala
Mohammed was toppled by a non-Muslim. It is
unfair for him to say that because it would not bring
about unity, we are looking for how to bring us
together and not what will divide us.


What advice would you offer on how to move
Nigeria forward?


We have to look at issues critically, address them
the way they are and agree that we have challenges;
once we agree on that, all of us must come
together to address the issues so that we can fix
Nigeria once and for all.


https://www.sunnewsonline.com/only-equity-justicell-avert-another-civil-war-yerima-shettima/

Yerima should go and sit down, he wants the other tribes to sit and watch his people slaughter them like goats, he is not different from the Boko Haram terrorist.

One Nigeria

Freestainworld:
Yerima should go and sit down, he wants the other tribes to sit and watch his people slaughter them like goats, he is not different from the Boko Haram terrorist.

You are on point. Kudos! They just prefer to have slaves and imbeciles as fellow Nigerians. Until Kanu keeps quite before wetin go happen? Lol!

ok

The only way.....

Nigeria is destined for breakup. At least the North caused it.

I think the forum should organize forums on surviving beyond Nigeria.

We don't even need a civil war to end this corn tree.


Almajiris would help us after they finish crippling the north through Boko Haram, Fulani Herdsmen, Bandits we can then have a full IDP region that would eat itself

I pray that God should not allow us to experience again what happened 51 years ago, but for that to happen, we must embrace two things; we must apply EQUITY and we must ensure JUSTICE for all; that is the only way to avert another conflict.

Meanwhile, "..It is sad that today, our own is in-charge of almost all the security agencies, our own is the number one man, yet we are the most backward & worst
victims of the incessant & senseless killings, banditry and terrorism. Today, the North is more at
war than ever imagined...."

So where is the "equity" and "justice" that you're preaching oga? Have the region kicked against the nepotic appointments that is the hallmark of the "our own" who is the "number one man" today? "Equal Right and Justice" -By Peter Tosh comes to mind.

So only the north have people that can talk or make inflammatory statements? Who have cautioned the likes of Junaid Mohammed, Prof.Ango Abdullahi, Tanko Yakassai, the Shettima himself("Oct 1st Quit Notice" to Igbo in 2018? ) over all the bilious things they have said to people in other regions

If shaku don't speak for the north ...ipob don't speak for Igbos

It's sounds like Nigeria is looking for the slightest chance to marginalize Igbos

Let May 29 2023 come first n its not an igbo man that's president then u would understand that kanu would be child's play

No need to even talk too much

And all that is what is lack in this administration.

Except Buhari stop his Nepotism.......

Bubu is on the verge of setting this country ablaze.......

Igbochief001:
If shaku don't speak for the north ...ipob don't speak for Igbos

It's sounds like Nigeria is looking for the slightest chance to marginalize Igbos

Let May 29 2023 come first n its not an igbo man that's president then u would understand that kanu would be child's play

No need to even talk too much

Ndi one Nigeria

God bless Nnamdi Kanu