Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says “any person in his senses” will not call for the breakup of the country.
Obasanjo said this on Friday when he paid a courtesy call on Ogiame Ikenwoli, the Olu of Warri, in Delta state.
The elder statesman was in the state to inspect facilities of Lee Engineering and Construction Company in Ekpan, Uvwie local government area of Delta.
He disagreed with those calling for the restructuring, arguing that the current problems would continue in a restructured country associated with impunity and bad governance.
“Will any person in his right senses believe that the way out of our problems in Nigeria is separation?” he asked.
“We have many problems if we can talk about them, and we must talk about them. We must find solution to them.
“The answer to most of our problems is mindset change and change of mentally. If we need any restructuring, it is the restructuring of our mindset and mentality. How will anybody in his right senses believe separation is the way out?
“It is our diversity that makes us a great country. I won’t want a Nigeria where we dance same juju or wear same attire. Our strength is in our diversity.”
Obasanjo said those seeking to create a sovereign state do not know what war is all about.
Reminiscing about the civil war, Obasanjo prayed that the country should not have such bitter experience again.
“I participated in the civil war and I said may I never have to participate in any civil war again in my life,” he said.
“It was gruesome. It was destructive. It was deadly. This is most especially for those who are clamouring, of which I don’t even know what they are clamouring, they don’t know what war means.
“Dismemberment of Nigeria is not good enough. Harmony and cohesion in Nigeria is what we should substitute for dismemberment. Inequity, injustice or unfairness are not good enough, we should substitute them with equity, fairness, good government and lack of impunity.
“Some progress is being made in spite of our difficulties and problems, we need to make greater progress than we have made before. If we do that we’ll have good governance, there’ll be no impunity, everybody will have a sense of belonging and a stake in this project called Nigeria.”
END
Be the first to comment