Buhari urges Shiites, Niger Delta militants to embrace peace

December 31, 2016 Agency Report

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Shi’a Community and Niger Delta militants to embrace peace and always abide by the laws of the country.

The president said this in his New Year message to Nigerians issued in Abuja on Saturday.

He reassured that his administration would continue to pursue peace initiatives with aggrieved groups across the country.

Mr. Buhari particularly called on the Niger Delta militants to desist from their destructive activities and come to the negotiating table.

“We will continue to pursue peace initiatives in the Niger Delta, as I again call on our brothers in that region who have taken to violent disruptions of economic infrastructure to come to the negotiating table.

“As for our brothers and sisters of the Shia Community, we urge them too to embrace peace.

“They must accept the laws of the country they live in. They cannot be islands by themselves.

“At the same time, the law enforcement agencies must treat them humanely and according to the rule of law.’’

President Buhari said Nigerians must continue to support and tolerate one another and live together as one.

“These are the attributes that define us and have for years confounded the pessimists who do not believe in our continued existence as a united and indivisible nation.

“We are a remarkable nation that has succeeded in harnessing our multiple diversities for national development.

“We must continue to support and tolerate one another and live together as one.’’ (NAN)

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/219331-buhari-urges-shiites-niger-delta-militants-embrace-peace.html

CC: Seun Lalasticlala

the above seems to be a drastic shift. Is the statement really made by him?

Shia are now "brothers and sisters".

this is too little and coming too late but however commendable. this should have been said last year during his media chat and it was a mistake for him to have tacitly supported/justified the crackdown that became known as the Zaria Massacre and kept mum all the while while el-rufai was trying hard to provoke chaos in Kaduna and in the north.

this shift will definitely raise several questions. is it caused by the statements issued by the US State Dept., the US and British embassies? is it because the ICC is now actively involved in investigating the Zaria massacre? public and media pressure? pressure by NGOs?

what exactly has changed overnight that Nigerian Shia are now recognized, asked to be treated humanely and called "brothers and sisters" by Mr. President? in a new year message? what is the importance?

or can we say the president was unaware from the beginning of happenings in Zaria? or was kept uninformed? or misinformed? is there a policy reassessment?

time will tell.

What about Fulani herdsmen?

softMarket:
What about Fulani herdsmen?

why do you lack patience?

at lease first commend him for this one. by next new year message, he will address the herdsmen issue in it. it took over a year to positively address the Shiites and Niger Delta. just wait till next year's message. exercise patience.

crosbreaka:


why do you lack patience?

at lease first commend him for this one. by next new year message, he will address the herdsmen issue in it. it took over a year to positively address the Shiites and Niger Delta. just wait till next year's message. exercise patience.

Taaa... why do you lack understanding?
It is indeed a dismay, that the dictatorial and indecipherable attitude of the president, has led to this colossally cataclysmic multiple uprising, tending towards national anarchism.I am uncommonly overwhelmed, by the economic meanders of this country, and the plausible utterances of the incumbent government, rendering to us, similar platitudes of past administrative leadership.So far the buhari's administration has not shown any level of professional competence in economic matters, the administration is vehemently engrossed with unrepentant nepotism, unmotivated patriotism,non geographical equilibria representation. Acrimoniously fighting deviant's with no germaine proclivities to Foster one Nigeria.This is a government shrouded with fundamentalism and hypocrisy, that professes one Nigeria,while their scope of leadership exudes, (No NIGERIA).This administration is loquacious, ludicrously lugubrious, and a complete ignoramus in economic matters. (He who lacks understanding should ask questions).

TerryG105:
Taaa... why do you lack understanding?
It is indeed a dismay, that the dictatorial and indecipherable attitude of the president, has led to this colossally cataclysmic multiple uprising, tending towards national anarchism.I am uncommonly overwhelmed, by the economic meanders of this country, and the plausible utterances of the incumbent government, rendering to us, similar platitudes of past administrative leadership.So far the buhari's administration has not shown any level of professional competence in economic matters, the administration is vehemently engrossed with unrepentant nepotism, unmotivated patriotism,non geographical equilibria representation. Acrimoniously fighting deviant's with no germaine proclivities to Foster one Nigeria.This is a government shrouded with fundamentalism and hypocrisy, that professes one Nigeria,while their scope of leadership exudes, (No NIGERIA).This administration is loquacious, ludicrously lugubrious, and a complete ignoramus in economic matters. (He who lacks understanding should ask questions).

Your post needs dictionary. But do you know the meaning of sarcasm.

Buhari has discovered how difficult it is to subdue Nigerians using his Islamist plots. He is now being conciliatory in his tone but that's medicine after death. The world hold it in evidence, that Buhari authorized the massacre of hapless Shia Muslim group and Pro-Biafra protesters. It will haunt his accursed self and his generations born and unborn. Buhari has a long list of criminal behaviors on his name; From a coup plotter to Electoral violence sponsor to support of Boko haram to massacre of Shias and pro-biafra protesters to support of Fulani herdsmen. Can Buhari ever be useful to this country?

What about the herdsmen that El-Rufai even travelled to visit in their villages in Niger?

There can't be any development when thers is no peace

I think buhari needs to Embrace peace first, practice what you preach

there's nothing like reconciliation in buhari's dictionary, the day the Niger Delta avengers would reveal it self for negotiations would be the end of their existence.how many of their demands have buhari done to show him as a honest man? what does it cost him to ahead with the national maritime university? but rather he's more interested in wasting billions searching for oil in the north and establishing the north east development commission among other questionable expenditures.