Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has said that Nigeria is presently undergoing a division that is worse than it has probably ever experienced in its history.
Atiku based his assertion on the secession threats, inter-ethnic discontent and hate speech that have become the order of the day in Nigeria.
Premium Times reports that Atiku said this at the 40th anniversary of the Federal Government College Okigwe in Imo state on Saturday, October 28.
He said: “This celebration is coming at a critical time in our country’s history.
“All of you must be aware of the recent agitations from different parts of the country, with some groups threatening violence and, in some cases, secession. These agitations are the result of a number of factors which I will not bother going into at this time, although since you are all enlightened men and women, I have no doubt that you are well and fully aware of what they are.
“As a result of these various forces, the Nigeria of today appears more divided than it has ever been before. Our country is not at war in the sense of guns and bombs, but the level of inter-ethnic discontent, hatred, and hate speech is at an all-time high.”
Atiku, represented at the occasion by his media adviser, Paul Ibe said what is needed is unity among different ethnic groups.
“You know from personal experience that the Hausa man’s problem is not the Igbo man, that the Igbo man’s problem is not the Yoruba man, that the Yoruba man’s problem is not the Hausa man, etc.
“You know the beauty of unity, of living together as brother and sister, in the same dormitory, in the same classroom, of belonging to the same house and working towards the same goal, whether it be winning a medal during inter-house sports competitions or a prize during a quiz competition. You know that, at those critical times when everyone’s eye is on the goal, the Hausa and Igbo and Yoruba need one another, must depend on one another to achieve.”
Project Nigeria Movement and Igbo Leaders of Thought had alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari's utterances are causing the division tearingNigeria apart.
Source:
https://www.naija.ng/1132657-nigeria-appears-divided-atiku.html