NO RIGHT THINKING PERSON'LL WANT NIGERIA'S BREAK-UP,OBASANJO SAYS OF IPOB, MASSOB AGITATIONS
No right thinking person’ll
want Nigeria’s break up, Obasanjo says of IPOB, MASSOB, others’ agitations
12 hours
ago
by Editor
Written
by Editor
Nigeria’s
former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said that it is not possible that any
person in his right senses would believe that the way out of Nigeria’s problems
will be its break up.
He
therefore called on groups agitating for the break-up of the country to desist
from such because Nigeria has gone past that stage.
Those who have been in the forefront of agitation for the breakup of Nigeria have been mostly Biafra secessionist groups including Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for Actualisation of a Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).
Those who have been in the forefront of agitation for the breakup of Nigeria have been mostly Biafra secessionist groups including Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and the Movement for Actualisation of a Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).
The
former president insisted there are better ways the problems confronting the
country can be addressed but certainly not by its division.
According
to him, there is nothing really wrong with Nigeria as a name. Where there is
something wrong he said, was with Nigerians, and to address those wrongs was
for people to speak up and condemn what is not right
Obasanjo
took this position on Friday at different events in Effurun and Warri, Delta
State when he visited the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Emmanuel
Sideso, Abe 1 and the Olu of Warri, His Majesty, Ogiame Ikenwoli after the
inspection of facilities at the Lee Engineering and Construction Company
Limited in Ekpan.
He said,
“I have always said there is nothing wrong with Nigeria but there is a lot
wrong with Nigerians. And what we need to do is to correct what is wrong with
Nigerians. Some of us have to speak up. If things are wrong and you refuse to
speak out you become an accomplice. Somebody is wrong I took him up.
“We have
to say this is not good enough and when we say this is not good enough we have
to offer something greater than what is not good enough. There are a lot of
things that are good than what is not good enough. Definitely, dismemberment of
Nigeria is not good enough. I think harmony and cohesion is what we should
substitute for dismemberment. Injustice, lack of fairness and impunity are not
good enough.
As I
watch the dances, the culture and tradition, I shake my head. And I say it is
indeed diversification that made us who we are- a great country. I don’t want
to have a Nigeria of sameness where we all will be dancing Akpala or the same
juju. The beauty of Nigeria is in our diversity. The greatness of Nigeria is in
diversity of our different languages. In spite of our difficulty, your majesty,
progress is being made.
“We have
problems but in spite of our difficulty some progress are being made but we
still have to make great progress. We need to make great progress than we have
made, and we can do that. If we do that and we have good governance, no
impunity, there is justice, there is equity and we make everybody to have a
sense of belonging and a stake in this project Nigeria I believe we will get
there sooner than we should have.”
On those
calling for separation he said, “Will any person in his right senses believe
that the way out of our problems in Nigeria is separation? We have past that
stage. We have many problems if we can talk about them and we must talk about
them. We must find solution to them.
“As you
rightly remarked, I participated in the civil war and I said may I never have
to participate in any civil war again in my life. It was gruesome. It was
destructive. It was deadly. This is most especially for those are clamouring
(of which I don’t even know what they are clamouring) they don’t know what war
means. They don’t.”
He then commended Chief Ikpea for his investment in local fabrication. He also urged the Federal Government and private industries to assist and promote local products to grow the economy.
He then commended Chief Ikpea for his investment in local fabrication. He also urged the Federal Government and private industries to assist and promote local products to grow the economy.
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