Calls for registration and issuance of identity cards to ethnic nationalities residing in states other than theirs have been described as sheer rubbish.
In an interview with Nigerian Pilot, a federal legislator in the second republic, Alhaji Lili Gabari expressed the opinion that those states which first initiated the idea on the pretext of insecurity were not sincere rather there must be hidden motive beyond the Boko Haram insurgency.
Sometime last month following the apprehension of over 400 northerners in Abia State while travelling to Port-Harcourt, an idea was mooted in Imo State whereby all northerners residing in the state should be registered and issued with ID cards as means of identifying who terrorists are.
Disturbed by the move which is already going on in Abia and Imo, calls were made for states in the north to take similar steps on southerners living in the north, a situation that will not augur well for the corporate existence of the country.
According to Gabari, “It is absolute rubbish, an exercise in futility” as it negates what the constitution says on the freedom of movement, of association, of residing in any part of the country of one’s choice.”
Gabari called for laws that will decisively deal with people who do not mean well with the unity of Nigeria notwithstanding the relative provisions in the constitution on fundamental human rights, or the constitution be amended to suit current trend in a peaceful atmosphere.