Babangida and Obasanjo Meet Over Boko Haram
July 30, 2012 in Nigerian Current Affairs, Recent News
After missing a meeting of the National Council of States on 13th July, erstwhile Nigerian president and military president, Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida have met to discuss the worrisome spate of insecurity in the country.
Kassim Afegbua, spokesman to General Babangida, released a statement on the meeting on Sunday, expressing the sadness of the leaders with the trend and offering solutions that would aid the return of peace to the country, particularly the volatile North.
“As the Holy Month of Ramadan commences, Nigerians, wherever they are and whatever religion they profess, are accorded a great opportunity to turn the tide against insecurity, violence and hatred,” a part of the statement read.
“Religious leaders, in particular, have an even greater challenge to use the immense virtues of this Holy period to inculcate among the millions of citizens the spirit of mutual respect, humility and forgiveness.”
Babangida and Obasanjo noted that there are “ample opportunities” for government to dialogue with insurgents, in the interest of the future of this generation and its children and grandchildren.
They expressed willingness to play their part in doing “whatever is possible” to achieve the country’s dire need for peace and harmony, promising to cooperate with all patriots to sustain and enhance the unity and progress of the country. They noted, also, that the spate of insecurity, if left unattended to, could defeat the labour of the founding fathers of the nation.
The statement read: “Unfolding events in our dear motherland, Nigeria, over the last few years are threatening to unravel the nearly-a-century-old labour of our founding fathers and subsequent generations in building a strong, united, peaceful nation that can accommodate and cater to the needs and aspirations of our diverse communities.
“Internecine crises are raging across the land unabated with damaging consequences on the social, political and economic life of the nation. And in the process, untold hardships are being visited on all citizens in one form or another on a daily basis.
“The loss of innocent lives being experienced by the day across the nation is simply unbearable. Currently, the nation is gripped by a regime of fear and uncertainty that virtually all citizens have difficulties going about their normal day-to-day lives without great anxiety and trepidation. This cannot be allowed to continue!
“A deeply worrying trend that is emerging from this terrible situation is that a pervasive cynicism is beginning to set in, so much so that millions of true Nigerian patriots are starting to question the platform upon which the unity of this country rests. This is simply untenable.
“The people of this country must not allow whatever sense of frustration, fear and despair we are experiencing now to supersede our hopes for a collective destiny, which lies in our continued existence as a nation. For us, and we believe for millions of other Nigerians, the continued unity of this nation is not only priceless but non-negotiable.
“While we are very much aware of the efforts [that] various governments in the country are making to confront the escalating security challenges across the country, we believe that it is time that these efforts are scaled up to be more involving and inclusive.
“In this regard, whatever robust security measures are put in place to contain the situation, as is normal in such circumstances, must be complemented with an equally intensive process of community involvement.”
This community involvement, the leaders explained, requires that all 774 local governments and all Nigerians, notwithstanding their religious beliefs, cooperate with the Federal Government to arrest terrorism nationwide.
“We, therefore, urge all governments in the country, starting with all the 774 local councils, to comprehensively engage their communities at the various levels including: elders, youth organisation, trade union and associations, women bodies, the clergy and other community stakeholders,” the statement continued.
“We also call on the federal and state governments not only to encourage these grassroots engagements for peace and beneficial coexistence but to work out the framework to sustain the engagement. In all these efforts it is important to emphasise that our diversity is a course for celebration not a cause for lamentation.”
Obasanjo and Babangida warned perpetrators of the acts of violence that the country could not record any significant progress in the currently high climate of insecurity.
“Finally, we need to reiterate that no meaningful development can ever occur in an atmosphere of violence and hatred. History has shown that any society that is built on the structures of violence and intolerance cannot prosper,” they said.
They equally emphasized the need for gratitude to God for blessing the country with abundant resources and talents but warned that those blessings could only be harnessed in a peaceful and harmonious polity.
Via The Will
