By Jonathan Nda- Isaiah,
Foremost professional advocacy group in the country and leading pathfinder for a new Southern Nigeria solidarity, the Southeast South South Professionals of Nigeria, SESSPN, has called on all Nigerians of goodwill to totally reject the propaganda that the criminal mayhem by career hoodlums trailing the #ENDSARS protests was suddenly ethnically motivated.
In a statement signed by the president and publicity secretary of the group ,Hannibal Uwaifo and Collins Steve Ugwu respectively, stated with emphasis and facts within their reach, that this highly combustible narrative is promoted by desperate fifth columnists eager to further diminish the huge successes of the ENDSARS national rebirth crusade.
Indeed, they noted this predictable straw is the usual manipulative agenda of divide and rule by those who wish to turn our historic momentum for liberty to a gnashing of teeth between our citizens.
The statement reads “We must not let this happen, because the Yorubas and Igbos, Ijaws and Binis as every other nationalities of southern Nigeria, have always lived and worked together in our essential diversities with tolerance and accommodation.
“We believe and reaffirm that a cemented southern cohesion is the oxygen of redemption for a true Nigeria, and that is why we at SESSPN are in active vanguard with dominant social cultural organisations like Ohaneze Ndigbo, Afenifere, PANDEF, United Middle Belt Forum in a collective resolve to make this happen.
“We condemn the arson and destruction of state assets, looting of individual properties and plead that this should stop, as we commiserate with families and the government of Lagos for the regrettable loss of lives.
“Let us note that Nigeria will continue to be stunted and stuck if we allow this easy bond between a growing community of angry hoodlums and their deadly criminal enablers, to ruin our best coordinated and internationally acclaimed break out against state oppression since independence.
“We have chosen to be better and keeping it a steady work in progress should be a sacred duty of all.”