The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, and the pan-Igbo cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, have rejected claims by the Arewa Consultative Forum alleging growing hostility and violence against northerners living in the South.

The ACF had on Wednesday decried what it described as ?deeply regrettable? attacks on northerners in the South, particularly in the South-East, and warned of rising alienation that could threaten national unity.

Speaking at the forum?s meeting in Kaduna, Chairman of ACF?s Board of Trustees, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, asserted that while northerners have historically welcomed Nigerians from other regions with ?unlimited hospitality,? the same had not been reciprocated.

?In many parts of the South, especially in the South-East, a northerner cannot expect to acquire one square foot of land, not to speak of owning any significant property,? Dalhatu alleged.

He said attacks on northerners had continued unchecked by successive governments, further fuelling discontent.

He also pointed to what he described as ?discriminatory federal policies? that have alienated many in the North and led to growing disillusionment with the Nigerian federation.

But Ohanaeze Ndigbo dismissed the ACF?s allegations as ?divisive and diversionary,? asserting that northerners are peacefully coexisting with their host communities across the South-East.

Speaking to The PUNCH, Mazi Godwin Okenwa, the deputy publicity secretary of Ohanaeze in the South East, said: ?The alleged hostility or violent attacks on northerners living in the South East is totally false. It is a known fact that the people who have endured hostility and violent attacks, especially in the North, are the southeasterners.?

Okenwa insisted that northerners in the South-East enjoy harmonious relationships and are free to own property and conduct business.

?From Anambra to Imo, Enugu, Abia, and Ebonyi, northerners are warmly accepted. Many are landlords, business owners, and live peacefully with their hosts,? he added.

?They own their houses and are doing their business without any attack from their host communities. Everybody knows that the South-East region shows hospitality more to people from outside the region, so the comments or allegations of hostility or violent attack are baseless, which they cannot substantiate,? he added.

Similarly, Afenifere described ACF?s claims as misleading and politically motivated.

The organisation?s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, however, told The PUNCH in Ibadan that Dalhatu?s comments reflected the growing need to restructure Nigeria to allow regions to manage their own affairs more effectively.

Ajayi stated: ?No northerner is being maltreated in the South simply for being a northerner. That assertion is a faulty generalisation.?

He also questioned Dalhatu?s claim about discriminatory federal policies against the North.

?It is ironic that someone of his standing would suggest that, when it is well known that many federal policies actually favour the North more than other regions,? he said.

On Dalhatu?s comment regarding land ownership and attacks on northerners, Ajayi challenged the ACF to first address the plight of people in Benue, Plateau, and Southern Kaduna who have suffered violence and displacement.

He concluded by supporting the call for restructuring as a lasting solution to perceived imbalances in the federation.

?Each region has what it takes to thrive. The time has come for restructuring to address marginalisation and empower all parts of the country to develop according to their aspirations,? Ajayi said. (The PUNCH)

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