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Nigeria’s Unity Not Negotiable, Buhari Tells Biafra Agitators

By Saxone Akhaine,Northern Bureau Chief, and Isa Abdulsalami Ahovi, Jos
22 November 2015   |   1:55 am
IN apparent reference to various agitations for dismemberment of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari has warned that his government would not fold its arms and watch some individuals or groups threaten the unity of Nigeria.
Buhari

Buhari

• Warns Against Divisive Protests

IN apparent reference to various agitations for dismemberment of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari has warned that his government would not fold its arms and watch some individuals or groups threaten the unity of Nigeria.

The President used the occasions of the investiture of the Obi of Onitsha, Dr. Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, as Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and graduation ceremony at the Nigeria Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Jos to make his feelings public.

He noted that despite challenges posed by insurgency and economic downturn, Nigeria is on the rise again, warning that the sanctity of the unity of the country will not be a subject of debate and will not be compromised.

While maintaining that his government is already tackling the several security challenges that have hindered the progress and overall national development of the country, Buhari noted that protests and agitations must follow due process, if they are patriotic and reasonable.
“I, therefore, sound a note of warning that the corporate existence of Nigeria is not negotiable,” he declared, assuring that the current security situation in the country, occasioned by the activities of insurgents in northern parts of the country will soon be a thing of the past.

Buhari, who admitted the numerous challenges facing Nigerian universities, said his administration would surmount them. The problems would be addressed, he stressed, with the coming on board of the new Minister of Education.

Represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the President told the gathering at Kuru that sustainable security and the socio-economic well being of Nigerians will continue to be among his administration’s priorities.
“Boko Haram’s terrorism, as well as their ideology, will soon be defeated and consigned to history. This is both fact and the moral logic of history that good will ultimately be victorious over evil. We are rapidly degrading their defensive and offensive capabilities and their end is near,” he said.

To those agitating for the dismemberment of the country, the President urged them to submit to peaceful and democratic means of expressing themselves saying, “your right to protest is limited by the rights of others to safety and peaceful existence. We can offer our contrary opinions without violating the law of the land or threatening law and order.”

Chancellor of ABU, Zaria, Achebe, in his address at the investiture said Nigeria, as a nation, has lost its bearing, noting: “If not changed, our mindset will frustrate every measure by the present administration to redress the economic decline.”

The Chancellor explained that the current situation facing Nigeria as a country calls for a serious and radical approach towards putting the country on the right path.
“The current efforts by the present administration to reset our economic bearings and improve on our wellbeing must be accompanied by a national crusade at restoring and reasserting our core value as a nation,” Achebe said.

The monarch pointed out that “road construction in Nigeria today is more expensive than most parts of the world, yet the roads are breaking down faster than we build them because the traditional mode of heavy haulage, namely railway, pipelines and waterways are comatose.”

He disclosed that “a trailer load of petroleum product from Mushin in Lagos to Maiduguri causes more damage to our roads than the value of the product being transported”, even as he lamented that the diversion of the so-called bailout loans for recurrent expenditure means that future generations are being inflicted with the burden of the profligacy of the current generation.
The Obi of Onitsha challenged universities in the country as centers of learning “to engage our national challenges and be sufficiently strong and dynamic to effectively do so”, since according to him, “education and learning are not an end but a means to achieving a better world and future for our children.”

Earlier, the ABU Vice Chancellor, Professor Ibrahim Garba, said that by the investiture of the Obi of Onitsha as seventh Chancellor of ABU, Zaria, the institution has gone further “to deepen this unique character of the university as a symbol of peaceful coexistence and unity of Nigerians despite our contemporary challenges.”

19 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    Mr. Buhari sir; these are very wise words and very clear statement to understand.
    I never really like you but I’m staking to have some likings towards you.

    God bless you

    Peace

  • Author’s gravatar

    Potentially eligible Igbo undergraduates applying for admissions to FEDERAL INSTITUTIONS for example ABU; yet, facing discrimination grounded on quota system needed the WALLS of discrimination to admissions at [EXCLUDING FEDERAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE EAST] ALL NIGERIAN FEDERAL INSTITUTIONS PLUS ABU, brought down?
    HIS ROYAL MAJESTY’S CHANCELLORSHIP DOES NOT RESTORE PENDING AND PREVIOUSLY NUMEROUS ELIGIBLE JAMB CUT OFF POINTS, YET DENIED IGBO JAMB CANDIDATES BY ABU AND THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITIES COMMISSION?
    otherwise the above subject matter appears a DECOY, using His Royal Majesty to blindside IGBO FAMILIES and above all numerous IGBO JAMBITES discrimination: driven by NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES admission [ POLICY] denials; taking place at ALL [EXCEPT THE EASTERN FEDERAL INSTITUTIONS]
    NIGERIAN FEDERAL INSTITUTIONS SUCCESSIVELY, OVER THE DECADES?

  • Author’s gravatar

    Palestine deserves their freedom is their human right says buhari but Nigeria unity not negotiable well Buhari is not UN. In UN is never so and freedom has due process, your statement can never change Biafra ambition. If they told USSR, Yugoslavia that their countries would divide they wont agree. So we shall see because you are doing something with educated people that knows their right.

    • Author’s gravatar

      the UN cant help your cause, you call on the like a credible body, where is the UN when scotland call for their own state or catalonia in spain but the UN and americans with our foolish brother OBAMA calling for unity but our case they divisionis the way, the source of your infomation control your reasoning,IGBOS as HEBREWS in NIGERIA should wake up to reel history of their heritage and how they came to NIGERIA and in other part of AFRICA . if you dont know your history why talk about Yugoslavia or USSR , first free yourself from mental slavery

    • Author’s gravatar

      There is a correlation between unemployment, crime and agitation, (the hand and mind that is doing nothing that’s what the devil will use) be careful of what you request and agitate for.
      In the country right now you see able bodied men hawking stuff made in China while the same thing could be made in Aba or Kano, or these able bodied men fixing our bad roads, electricity, water supply, now we don’t have good technicians or mechanics anymore and instead of addressing these issues, people are talking Biafra or Oduduwa. These president has requested for the immediate resustication of all technical schools and instead of supporting him to create jobs we are talking about the worst presidency
      One thing I know is that when you get to meet God you will only be judged on your love of God and your neighbor not on your ethnicity, skin color, Biafra or Nigeria
      God bless Nigeria

  • Author’s gravatar

    Hahaha… do you remember Markovic? Ok let me educate you…Ante Markovic once Yugoslavia prime minister warned that if any republic declares unilateral independence, his government would “take measures”
    Markovic issued a veiled warning in a speech to the federal Parliament earlier in the day that his government might call in the army… WHERE IS YUGOSLAVIA TODAY..TIME WILL TELL

  • Author’s gravatar

    Buhari needs to articulate what it means to be Nigerian and sell it to the restive peoples of Nigeria. All these rhetoric about one country are empty to most Nigerians. Achebe is absolutely correct.. REFORM the system for greater efficiency. Buhari continues to be ARROGANT and VILE instead of demonstrating HUMILITY and LEADERSHIP.

  • Author’s gravatar

    This must be the most incompetent leader ever in Nigeria’s history! This bigot is in negotiations with the murderous Boko Haram who have violently seized territories and murdered thousands of citizens yet he is threatening peaceful protesters who are asking for constitutional means of self-determination. He does not even have the sense to make a positive statement; to assure citizens that their concerns will be heard and attempts will be made to address them as much as possible. It is clear that his coterie of sycophants and hypocritical advisers are leading him on the path to unprecedented and spectacular failure. We dey watch …

    • Author’s gravatar

      Based on what??????
      It’s mind like yours that the devil find easy to use, you never see anything good about Buhari after six months and everything was comatose before he took over
      I’m sorry your mind set is the same mind set with boko haram only that your hatred haven’t got to the level of you blowing yourself up, but hatred of an individual or group of people, or my my way or the highway its how it starts
      Allow God to reign in your soul and you start to love your brother as yourself
      God bless Nigeria

      • Author’s gravatar

        No need to scream at me my friend. I will ask u only ONE question: Is the government not negotiating with Boko Haram? Why would they not then negotiate with IPOB agitators? Just give me an answer and let’s leave charged sentiments from the discussion. I am waiting …

  • Author’s gravatar

    I want to know; Buhari and the protesters,who is breaking the law of Nigeria? Give me one or two things that makes Nigeria indivisible. Is by force to remain united? Let us know what we intend to benefit in one indivisible Nigeria and not threat. Let those nearer to him educate on what we expect from him as a president. This is not military era where force is the answer. The whole Nigeria is watching how he will answer this text question set by MASSOP/IPOB.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Nigerian unity is non-negotiable in the same Nigeria Buhari is applying 97%:5% ratio in distribution of government benefits.

    • Author’s gravatar

      Nigeria’s unity is negotiable. We did not ask to be lumped together with people who deliberately set us back for 50years. We did not write the constitution; the Military, led by 2 Northern Sons, ABACHA and Abdulsalaam Abubakar forced the defective, difficult-to-amend and shallow document on us.
      Buhari needs to have his head cleaned. From the election results, about 54% voted for him; his mentality that 97% voted him stems from acute senility.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Nigeria is on the rise, yet there is insurgency, economic downturn and agitation for Biafra… these are not the indices of a country on the rise.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Going by History , it has never be easy to surpress the agitation of freedom. Book Haram is the nearest example though their agitation is carried out in an uncivilized way.

  • Author’s gravatar

    I was too young to remember the details about Biafra, however, I know that so many of my close relatives died in the war that ensued. Shall Nigerians now close that chapter and move on?

    Frankly, I do not see Biafra happening during my lifetime or in the foreseeable future mainly because the current structure of Nigeria dictates the contrary. I may subscribe to the 6 geopolitical zones formula mainly to reduce the cost of governance on one hand and to derogate power closer to the governed on the other.

  • Author’s gravatar

    I was too young to remember the details about Biafra, however, I know that so many of my close relatives died in the war that ensued. Shall Nigerians now close that chapter and move on?

    Frankly, I do not see Biafra happening during my lifetime or in the foreseeable future mainly because the current structure of Nigeria dictates the contrary. I may subscribe to the 6 geopolitical zones formula mainly to reduce the cost of governance on one hand and to derogate power closer to the governed on the other.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Nigeria’s unity is quite negotiable Mr Buhari. The world of the 21st century is not a place for dictatorship. No body is pleading with Buhari to listen. As long as he cannot stop the world from listening he will do so when the time comes.Where is true federalism Mr Buhari? Psychopathic savage.