Meets northern leaders yesterday, S/East today
Igbo needs Nigeria more – Okorocha
By Abdullahi M. Gulloma
Abuja with Agency
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, has warned all those agitating for the country’s breakup to desist or face the full wrath of the law.
He advised the agitators to have a rethink on their mission, considering the fact that most of them never experienced what a real war entails.
Osinbajo was quoted by his Senior Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, as giving the warning at a parley with top leaders from the Northern part of the country, over the ultimatum issued by some youth groups to Igbo resident in the region.
Akande said the meeting is the first in a series of consultations with leaders from the Northern and Eastern parts of the country.
The acting president’s aide said through his twitter handle that Osinbajo is expected to first meet each group separately on different days this week and then meet them together afterwards.
Speaking shortly before the meeting went into a close-door session, Osinbajo said any attempt by any group of people or individuals to disrupt the peace in the country, would be met with stiff resistance.
He said government would wield the big stick against any group or individuals whose activities or utterances precipitate violence or social unrest in any part of the country,
Osinbajo said: “Every form of violence, every form of hate speech, any stone that is thrown in the market place will hit targets that are going to be deadly. So I need us to be fully conscious of that, and the Nigerian people must be made to be fully conscious of that so that we do not create a crisis that is not intended.
“As part of living together, I know that misunderstandings and frustrations will always arise and people will always want to get the best part of the deal, but we must be careful to recognise that we can only begin to talk about any part of anything if we are together in peace.
“These days, wars do not end and I am sure that those who have seen or experienced war in any shape or form, will not wish it on their worst enemies. This is not a time to retreat behind ethnic lines, moments like this are not for isolating ourselves. I want to urge all of us here and the entire Nigerian populace to come together and work together.
“As a government, we are determined to ensure the unity of the country along the lines of our constitution. And I want to say that hate and divisive speech or divisive behaviour where it is illegal, will be met with the full force of the law.
“And I want to ensure that there is no doubt at all that it is the resolve of the government that none will be allowed to get away with making speeches that can cause sedition or that can cause violence, especially because when we make these kinds of pronouncement and do things that can cause violence or destruction of lives and property, we are no longer in control.
“Those who make those speeches are no longer in control. So, I want to empathise that government will take very seriously any attempts to cause violence or disrupt the peace of this country. And that is very important because you cannot control violence once it begins.”
Those who attended the meeting were the Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki; Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara; Chief of Defence Staff, Genearl Gabriel Olonishakin; Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum and former IGP Ibrahim Comassie; former Vice Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Professor Ango Abdullahi; former Sokoto state Governor, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamako; former Plateau state Deputy Governor, Mrs. Pauline Tallen; publisher of Leadership Newspapers, Sam Ndah-Isaiah, Second Republic Minister, Paul Unongo, and Chairman, Liberty Radio/Television, Tijani Ramalan, among others.
