By Jimitota Onoyume

Arewa leader in the South Alhaji Musa Saidu has absolved President Bola Tinubu of any blame in the frosty relationship between the Economic Community of West Africa , ECOWAS and the three countries that withdrew their membership last year from the regional body.

It would be recalled that Niger Republic , Mali and Senegal announced their withdrawal from the body over what many have come to see as poorly handled diplomatic issues between the countries and the ECOWAS.

Saidu alleged that President Tinubu who was chairman of the ECOWAS at the time the crisis between the body and the countries started was misinformed on issues in Niger Republic, adding that most northerners in Nigeria had been unfair to Nigeriens.

He said Nigeriens felt poorly treated by their northern brothers in Nigeria , adding that it was why they announced withdrawal from the body so they can take back their economy completely from alleged external control.

Saidu said he was surprised that some northerners had allegedly started kicking against plan by Nigerien’s military government to erect a wall at the border between the country and Nigeria in the north

” President Bola Tinubu is not the one that made Niger Republic leave ECOWAS rather its the treatment they were getting from some of their northern brothers in the country and all that. They supported Nigeria during the Biafra war but we’re not being fair to them. Some of their brothers from the north etc have no regard for them .

“Some northern business men are exploiting their country so Nigeriens want to take back their country. Niger Republic didn’t have industry, they traded in Kano. It was trans Sahara trade that made Kano rich. Nigeriens don’t trust some of their brothers in northern Nigeria. They don’t know much about the South so they don’t have any problem with the Southern part of Nigeria.

“It was reported that Nigeriens want to build a wall between Nigeria and Niger republic’s border. This in my view means all imports from Niger Republic will now pass through Lagos. Nigerians have been talking about porous border so Niger Republic wants to build a wall but am surprised that some Nigerians are against it. The truth is that Nigeriens want to get back their economy from all external influence.

“Nigerien government want to handover the business, economy of their country back to their Nigeriens. They have strong support from many Africa countries. Nigeriens see what they are doing as pan africanism which kwame Nkruma represented.