#QUITNOTICE: Osinbajo cautions govs, leaders to stop playing politics with security

Following the present tension in the country, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has harped on the need for leaders to speak up more forcefully and not play politics with the security of the country.

He was addressing the 36 states governors at a consultative meeting at the Old Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja on Wednesday.

The meeting with the governors was the last of the series of meetings he has had with leaders from the North and South-East regions of the country following the agitations for Biafra by Igbo groups, and its resultant October 1 ultimatum for Ndigbo to vacate all northern state by Arewa youths.

The governor’s on their part stated that they had resolved that Nigeria will remain a united country.

Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state who spoke on behalf of the states’ chief executives warned that those fanning the flame of separation were simply wasting their time.

Osinbajo, who explained to the governors that the meetings he had with leaders from the concerned regions was successful with all agreeing on the continued existence of Nigeria as one country, however asked the governors to do more in addressing challenges arising from those they govern.

He said, “We’ve had very fruitful and very frank discussions with the various groups and many of course have spoken about the various issues which concern them and we’ve more or less been able to come to some agreement as to common principles and if you like consensus.

“But today’s meeting is one which I hope will be able to seal all of the discussions we’ve had with the different groups, with the traditional rulers, the leaders, the elders and I hope that we will be able to seal that because obviously the Governors are critical in this whole process and it’s impossible of course to get anything done or to even implement any of the ideas or suggestions we may have without your excellencies being the primary movers of whatever it is that we agree to do.

“There are attempts by various groups, individuals, sometimes by politicians to play up those fault lines and to create tension sometimes for purely selfish reasons but at other times for even genuine reasons. I think that it’s our duty as leaders, especially as elected leaders to really make a difference in the way that these conversations and interventions go.

“There is a part of all of these agitations and statements that are made that is fair and may well be considered as freedom of expression. Clearly, we are all allowed to express our views and there’s a part of this that is expected in any healthy and robust democracy: people arguing and disagreeing, sometimes stridently.

“But there is a point where a line has to be drawn, and that is when conversations or agitations degenerate into hateful rhetoric, where the narrative descends into pejorative name-calling, expressions of outright prejudice and hatred.”

Read also: FG’s entire apparatus will be deployed against threats to Nigeria’s unity –Osinbajo

He further said that the constitution guarantees freedom of expression “and we are a people who like to talk”, but “we must be careful with the way we express ourselves.”

Osinbajo told the governors that the second most important thing he discussed with the leaders which they all agreed to, was that Nigeria’s Constitution clearly states that the country with the Federal Government and 36 states is sovereign and indissoluble.

“In other words, it is one united country. That is also an important and fundamental basis upon which we operate as Nigerians. Our Constitution states that our nation is one undivided and sovereign.

“And very importantly, we agreed on the need for leaders to speak out more forcefully to counter divisive speech or any kind of warmongering. We agreed that cultural leaders, religious leaders and political leaders should speak out forcibly against any kind of divisive speech and we expect that our political leaders would do so without waiting to be prompted.

“We must resist the temptation to play politics with matters of security, or to reach for simplistic narratives that might be momentarily expedient and satisfying but are false, misleading and unhelpful to a proper understanding of the issues,” he said.

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