Here
is Acting President, Yemi Osibanjo's full speech during a consultative
meeting with Southeast Governors and leaders of thought in South-eastern
states at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday.
Yemi Osinbajo
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.
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