By Umar Muhammad Puma
Deputy minority leader of the House of Representatives, Rep Suleiman Kawu Sumaila, has condemned the recent decision of some south east state governments to register all northerners living in the state.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja yesterday, Kawu said such actions by the Imo state government is tantamount to making northerners second-class citizens in their country.
According to the legislator, “These kind of actions are misguided, unfortunate and highly provocative. I strongly condemn it and warn those propagating it to desist from such paths of perdition.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) guarantees freedom of movement for all citizens no matter their ethnic group, religion or section, therefore any attempt to compel our people to register in Imo or any other state for that matter is a gross infringement of their fundamental human right to liberty and violation of the Constitution.
“I urge the state governments involved to, as a matter of urgency and necessity, reverse the ill-informed decision in the interest of peace, stability and national unity.
“Nigerians need to be reminded that there are millions of Igbo people in all nooks and crannies of the North, who are engaged in genuine businesses. These are law abiding Nigerians who are our friends and we have for long continued to offer assistance to them on individual and collective basis. This relationship should not be destroyed at this point in time.
“I call on President Goodluck Jonathan who is the commander in-chief of the armed forces and father of the nation to call these state governments to order as he has both the legal and moral obligation to protect all Nigerians from being made foreigners in their country”, he further stated.
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