BIAFRA: We must avoid mistakes that led to civil war, Sultan cautions

Apparently following the growing agitation for a Biafran state from Nigeria, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has cautioned against repeating the same mistake that plunged the country into a civil war in 1967.

The Sultan advised that the lessons of the three-year war should help Nigerians guard against another such event, adding, that the country may not be lucky to survive the effect this time.

He stated when he spoke to newsmen at the Traditional Rulers Day in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, one of the activities lined up to mark the state’s 50th anniversary.

“As a nation, we have gone through and surmounted the worst of all, a civil war. I think we have lessons to learn from that because very few nations could survive civil war. We must check the lessons and guard against repeating such mistakes and move forward,” Sultan said.

Read also: CLARK TO Obasanjo: What do you really want from Jonathan, Ijaw people?

To also help cushion the growing unrest across different communities and regions in the country, the sultan called on traditional institutions to ensure they do what is expected of them in their various communities even as government is being awaited to perform its constitutional role.

He said, “Traditional rulers know where it pinches their subject, perhaps are in the best positions to cuddle them, love and provide most of their necessities. By their presence and grasp of the local environment, they are better positioned to drive any genuine transformation of the local economy.

“Being the direct leaders of the poor, they are part of the major stakeholders in the alleviation of poverty, they daily bear the brunt of the consequence of poverty.”

RipplesNigeria ….without borders, without fears

Click here to download the Ripples Nigeria App for latest updates

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now