TEXT OF OPENING
REMARKS MADE BY THE ACTING PRESIDENT YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, AT HIS MEETING WITH
LEADERS OF THOUGHT FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN STATES HELD AT THE OLD BANQUET HALL,
STATE HOUSE, ABUJA ONWEDNESDAY JUNE 14, 2017
“The reason why it cannot be tolerated is that the
very many innocent men, women, children and the vulnerable amongst us deserves
safety and security and our own emotions must not be allowed to run wild in
such a way as to endanger the lives of so many”.
Protocol
Let me first say how deeply
grateful I am that you have responded so well and so quickly at very very short
notice to this invitation.
Yesterday I kicked off a series of consultations
and engagements with Leaders of Thought from the Northern States of Nigeria. It
was a very useful meeting and today’s meeting is the second in the
series with you, the Leaders of Thought from the Southeast.
After this, I will meet with Religious and
Traditional Leaders again from the Southeast and on Monday I will be
meeting with Religious Leaders also from the North. And then in the final consultations
next week, I will be meeting both with state Governors and finally with all of
the groups that I have met with from the North, the South and we’ll be joined I
hope then, by the Governors also and we all hopefully be in the same room for
further engagement and consultations.
I want to say again a very very big thank you for
your making the time to come to this particular meeting.
These consultations are extremely necessary, and
important, especially because of the recent events in our country and I’m sure
that most of us have followed this quite closely.
You are all aware that there have been loud and
sometimes hostile agitations by young people in the Southeast calling for
secession from Nigeria. And then there was the recent ultimatum issued by a
group of young people also from the North, asking all persons of Southeast
origin living in the North to leave by October 1 this year.
Both of these expressions and agitations from both sides, have been
attended with some controversial and very hateful approach including patently
illegal and violence-inducing remarks.
I firmly believe that we ought to address these
agitations and proclamations urgently and decisively. Burying our heads in the
sand and expecting the storm to blow over of their own accord is not an option.
But equally not reasonable is falling for the
temptation for any kind of tit-for-tat whether it is in the language
used or it is in the kinds of gestures that have been expressed. This has never
worked or moved anyone closer to a peaceful or sensible resolution.
And so it’s in our bid, as government, to deal with
these pressing issues and grievances, that we’ve convened these series of
consultations, with various groups. It’s the right and responsible thing I think
for us as leaders not to shy away from the responsibility to ensure and uphold
peace and security in our country.
And it’s my view that the responsible role of those
of us who are privileged to be leaders in our society is to chart
progressive and lofty courses for our people, for the ordinary people. As
leaders, we carry the burden to secure the peace, progress and prosperity
of our people. And that is why our voices ought to be heard and heard loud and
clear at moments like this in the defense and articulation of what is truly
beneficial to the nation and the people, and what is right and patriotic.
Our dear nation has gone through very m any
difficult times. We’ve survived bloody coups, several rounds of ethno-religious
violence, we’ve emerged even from a long and bloody Civil War. All of us here
have seen close-up what violence can do to a country. I believe I speak
for us all when I say that no one here is keen to see Nigeria embroiled in
violence or bloodshed of any kind. Especially not when we are only just
emerging from a brutal insurgency that has consumed more than 20,000 of our
brothers, sisters and children, as well as the better part of a decade in the
Northeast of Nigeria.
One thing is clear – violence and war are not going to
do anyone any good. They are terrible and they mean no good. They are easy
to start but near impossible to end.
In fact, history has shown us especially
contemporary history that wars today hardly ever end. They just simply go
on. Indeed, you’re all
aware of the Igbo proverb that says that “aman who rushes into battle does
not realize that battle entails death.” We are witnesses to the
unspeakable devastation that war continues to inflict across the world. No one
who has seen the horrors of war – even merely on television – would wish it on their worst
enemy.
It is also clear that wars sometimes start, not
with bullets, but with words. Hateful, incendiary speech, opening floodgates of
blood. The tongue, like the pen, is often mightier than the sword – because it is what pushes the
sword into action. When we throw words like stones in a marketplace we do not
know who or what it will hit.
Knowing this, under no conditions whatsoever should
we tolerate or excuse or justify hate speech or hateful conduct of any kind, especially
where such is illegal. Let me of course acknowledge that as part of living
together in this space called Nigeria, misunderstandings and frustrations are
inevitable. Because resources are limited there will always be a striving to
get what is perceived as the best seat at the table.
All of that is normal and to be expected,
especially in a democracy, like ours. A healthy democracy ought to be a theatre
of energetic striving by all parties and stakeholders. But things should never
descend to a level where mutual suspicions override the desire to live together
in peace and harmony.
Yesterday I made it clear, very clear that hate or
divisive speech, or divisive behaviour, where it is illegal, will be met with
the full force of the law. And I want to say it again today that let there be
no doubt whatsoever of the resolve of government to ensure that no one will be
allowed to get away with making speeches that can cause division especially
violence. We will take very seriously any attempts to cause violence or to disrupt the peace of
Nigeria and it will certainly not be tolerated.
And the reason why it cannot be tolerated is that
the very many innocent men, women, children and the vulnerable amongst us
deserves safety and security and our own emotions must not be allowed to run
wild in such a way as to endanger the lives of so many. And I believe that all
are clear that we’re resolute in our determination as government to protect
every Nigerian, everywhere in the country. Everywhere in this country, it is
the primary duty of government to ensure the security of lives and property and
we take that duty very seriously indeed.
We will do everything within our power to defend
and uphold the terms of our constitution, which declares that we are one nation
under God.
It also guarantees the free mobility of people,
goods and services throughout the country, as well as full residence rights for
every citizen in all and any parts of the land of their choice. It is also the
aspiration of the Constitution to ensure a country in which, and I quote, “loyalty to the nation shall
override sectional loyalties.”
And it is the responsibility of the Government to
create the conditions for the attainment of these ideals. There is something
that President Buhari is fond of saying, and he’s repeated it am sure so many
of us have heard it: that without peace and security there can be no
development. That the first obligation that we owe if we want to develop, is to
ensure peace and security. We cannot develop a country that is not in the first
place safe and secure for all people. For this reason we take extremely
seriously our constitutional responsibilities as your government.
Those responsibilities also include listening to,
consulting, and engaging with you; giving every citizen and every part of the
Federation a sense of belonging and significance. And that is why we are here
today.
I expect that our conversations here today will be
frank and constructive, open and that all our deliberations will go towards
ensuring that our country is a better place, a more peaceful place to live in.
This is an important moment for all of us and for our country, and I hope that
at the end of it we will all be satisfied that we have accomplished something
significant not just for ourselves but for the future.
By the grace of God we will leave to coming
generations a peaceful, secure and prosperous nation; a nation in which all
citizens, regardless of their ethnic, religious affiliations, or their ages or
gender will feel deep and enduring pride.
Thank you very much again for
making out time to come and I hope that our deliberations will be very fruitful
and like I said, please let us be as frank as possible
God bless you.
Tags
Politics