Bishop of Bauchi condemns quit notice to Igbo

FROM: PAUL ORUDE, BAUCHI The newly-installed Bishop of the Bauchi Catholic Diocese, Rt. Rev. Hillary Nanman Dachelem, has described the recent quit notice issued by some northern youths to the Igbo to quit the region by October 1 as borne out of ignorance. Danchelem,  who hails from Qua’pan Local Government Area of Plateau State, said the order came from alarmists who do not value the issue of national integration. He made his views known in an interview with Daily Sun at the St John Cathedral, Bauchi. According to him, “It is just like going to American and telling an American citizen to quit. In fact in America where ever you are born is your home. “I think it is based on ignorance. This is coming from an alarmist and those who have not come to value the issue of national integration and then those who have not been able to tap the resources based on our cohesion as one people. So we can’t take that. We will not tolerate it. We will fight it out. There is no room for it in our diocese and in our whole region here. That is not from the spirit of God” The new Bishop described the Igbo as a wonderful set of good people full of dynamism and open spirit which make them to thrive anywhere they go. Danchelem, who has spent many years doing missionary work in Igbo land said: “The Igbo are a wonderful set of people. Very good people but you need to live with them and understand them. An Igbo man can decide to even prefer you top a brother of the same father and mother. “The Igbo person is the more open. The Igbo nation is the most open nation in the world. You go everywhere you find an Igbo man because he has a docile and dynamic, open spirit. If you go there too they accept you so long as you are able to appreciate them and also appreciate their values because each people have their values. If you want to enjoy the Igbo people you have to learn the values system in place and adjust and as soon as you do that, you get the best. I think I am the most loved in the Igbo land and the north” He promised to use his position as Bishop to promote unity and peaceful co-existence among various ethnic groups in the diocese. Danchelem continued, “There is nothing that stops us from loving one another y  in this country except isms. I can get the best out of you and you can get the best out of me and we integrate and achieve greater things. “The Nationalists, the fathers of this country were not all one tribe. Nnamdi Azikiwe came from the east, Obafemi Awolowo came from the west and Sir Ahmadu  Bello came from the north. These people overlooked all these nuances to achieve one goal so this nation is not based, rooted on having foundation on tribalism and because of that tribalism will never thrive  in this country.”

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