Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday evening warned that government would wield the big stick against any group or individuals whose activities or utterances precipitate violence or social unrest in any parts of Nigeria’s geographical space.
Osinbajo said this during meeting with leaders of thought from the northern part of the country to seek ways of dousing the tension in the country arising from activities of some ethnic organisations.
The Acting President in his opening remark at the meeting emphasized that the present crop of leaders in the country owed the up coming generation and posterity a duty to leave behind a peaceful and prosperous nation.
“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 recognize 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 behavior 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 empathize 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,” the Acting President said.
Those at the meeting included Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonishakin, Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum and former IGP Ibrahim Comassie, former Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, former Governor of Sokoto State, Aliyu Wamako, former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Pauline Tallen, Publisher of Leadership Newspapers, Sam Ndah-Isaiah, Second Republic Minister, Paul Unongo, AVM Murkar and Chairman Liberty Radio/Television, Tijani Ramalan, the Editor in Chief of Daily Trust, Munir Dan Ali among others.
Osinbajo also announced that he would meet with South East leaders of thought on Wednesday, traditional and religious rulers from the zone on Friday and their counterparts from the north on Sunday in efforts to nip any crisis arising from the threats and counter threats in the bud.
