Those calling for secession from the country, according to Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media, are the country’s issue.
He said this on Tuesday in Abuja at an event hosted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Professional Forum to highlight President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s accomplishments.
Shehu went on to say that Buhari would not be threatened by some people’s demands for independence, insisting that the nation would remain united no matter what.
“For those saying that the presidency has not been talking, our position is clearly that this country is one and will remain united by the grace of God.
“You can’t intimidate Buhari, you can’t bully him, a lot of these people who are calling for secession are the problem of this country, I am happy that reasonable voices are now rising,” he said.
Shehu praised Afenifere, Ohanaze Ndigbo, and other socio-cultural regional groups for speaking out against secession.
“We have heard the governors in the South-West, they have denounced all of these things, so it’s a sham, Nigerians want to be one and united,” he said.
He expressed confidence that, whatever difficulties the country faces, they will be overcome through unity and love.
Shehu dismissed calls for a national conference to solve the country’s problems, saying it would accomplish little more than a parliament, which is mandated to protect Nigerians’ sovereignty.
He went on to say that any true democrat should believe in the three-part structure of government, noting that many of those calling for secession are un-electable, but that they should run for office if they disagreed.
He expressed confidence that, whatever difficulties the country faces, they will be overcome through unity and love.
Shehu dismissed calls for a national conference to solve the country’s problems, saying it would accomplish little more than a parliament, which is mandated to protect Nigerians’ sovereignty.
He went on to say that any true democrat should believe in the three-part structure of government, noting that many of those calling for secession are un-electable, but that they should run for office if they disagreed.
“The sponsors of bandits hired him, built a house for him, bought him a Golf car and gave him money to do bigger tea business.
“Each time an aircraft took off from Katsina Airport to go and operate in Zamfara, he will call them on phone and say they are coming, by the time they get there, the target have disappeared,” he said.
Shehu said that all hands must be on deck to rid societies of such informants because the military, like us, had blood flowing through their veins.
“We are all in this together and we just have to work together to rid this country of these elements,” he said.
Shehu, speaking about the current unrest in the South-East, said that while criminals were battling for power, no criminal or terrorist was bigger than the country.
“None of them is mightier than our armed forces, this structure has been there, they were certificated and praised, they stabilised the entire West Africa region,” he said.
He singled out the Nigerian military for its role in maintaining peace and stability in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Gambia.
He went on to say that the military only required time, support, and prayers from Nigerians to fight terrorism and acts of banditry in the country.
He went on to say that Boko Haram was no longer fighting for the Islamic Caliphate, but rather for food and arms to replenish, as well as money, and that they had turned to armed robbers to target weak spots.
Shehu said that the military was preparing to stop Boko Haram not only from entering the cities, but also from entering the forest.
In the name of balancing stories, he urged the media to reconsider how they reported on acts of terrorism in the region.
He emphasized that a terrorist or a bandit cannot be equated with a legitimate government, and that terrorism and banditry thrive on publicity.
As a result, Shehu urged Nigerians to see the nation as half full rather than half empty.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
