Insecurity: Watch your utterances, Abdulsalami warns governors

By JOY ANIGBOGU

The former head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd) has advised governors across the country to be careful what they say, to avoid unnecessary tension in the country.

The former military leader maintained that the 36 governors should make sure that there is law and order in their States and they should watch their utterances because what they say could be taken by people as an order.

Abubakar on Arise television on Thursday stressed that governors should not say anything that would be misread, or meant that they should be fighting people who are not of their State of origin.

The former head of Stated said, “There must be dialogue between the governors and the people who they feel are committing crime in their area. Certainly anyone who commits crime should be arrested and prosecuted. It is the responsibliy of the governors to save lives and property of all Nigerians who are living within their States.”

Adding, “The governors have found themselves in difficult situation and it is their responsibility to govern the State regardless of who are resident there. It is sad that suddenly earthly disharmony is raring its head all over the place.

“You see that in some Southern States where some people were seen leaving the region, certainly, this will heighten tension in the country, and it did. You could see some people are migrating from some parts of the country back to their States where they feel safer. God forbid, this is taking us back to the 1960s, where the problem resulted into a civil war. That is why the peace committee and myself are calling for caution so that we do not go back to the road.”

The retired general said that in the statement they issued as members of national peace committee, they cautioned the governors on the need for peace in the country.

“We told them that they need to sit down and discuss among themselves. It is necessary for the governors, in their forum to sit down and analyse the problems and proffer a solution. It is absurd for a governor to wake up, call the media and just say what he wants to say. They should work in harmony.”

While talking about the role of the national peace committee in ensuring peace in the country, Abubakar said  that they were mobilising the public also to give peace a chance, stressing that Nigerians have been living in harmony all over the years and so the public has a responsibility to provide intelligence to government in fighting insurgency.

“All over the world, there is the problem of herders and farmers clashes especially in Africa but some countries have found a solution to that and Nigeria can learn from them on how to end this problem.

In Niger State for example, we have been able to create ranches and this has helped to minimize clashes. On the part of government I think they should try to control the proliferation of small arms into the country,” Abubakar said. (Daily Independent)