At Tinubu Colloquium, Buhari Recalls ‘Unspeakable Horrors’ Of 1967 Civil War

President Muhammadu Buhari has warned against the danger of inter-ethnic hatred among citizens, describing it as “a potentially ruinous trend” that must be jointly addressed before it consumes the nation.

Buhari issued the warning while delivering a speech at the 12th Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Colloquium aired live on TVC News on Monday.

The president noted that, “Despite occasional inter-ethnic tensions in our national history, it seems to me that we have all agreed on one point that, notwithstanding our diversity of ethnicity, culture, language and religion, Nigerians are better together; even stronger together.”

THE WHISTLER reports that this year’s edition of the yearly event was themed ‘Our Commonwealth: The Imperative of National Cohesion for Growth and Prosperity’.

The event which marks Tinubu’s 69th birthday celebration is currently holding in Kano and is being virtually attended by President Buhari.

The president, in his speech, noted that this year’s theme of the event, “speaks to a very contemporary but potentially ruinous trend, which, in my view, we must all join hands to check at once.”

President Buhari, who served as chairman of the occasion, shared his experience of working in all parts of the country as a military officer as well as his experience fighting in the 1967 to 197o Nigerian Civil War.

He said, “I can also relate personally to the ideals of one Nigeria. As a military officer, I have served with great comrades from all the nooks and crannies of our country. I have seen over and over again that their goodness or failings did not depend on ethnicity or religion. “In the course of my career, I have also been opportune to serve in all parts of Nigeria, seeing first-hand the enticing possibilities of a strong, united nation.

“More importantly, I fought for the unity of Nigeria during the civil war of 1967 to 197o, and I saw first-hand the unspeakable horrors of war, not just on fellow soldiers on both sides, but on the civilians: innocent children, women and elderly citizens that they left behind. As we all know, the peace-building, recovery and reconstruction that followed could also not have succeeded under an atmosphere of inter-ethnic animosity.

“We must count our blessings in Nigeria and see in them the crucial factors of peace and unity,” he added.

Buhari also said: “I think the lessons of this Colloquium are clear. Our very best course of conduct, whether as leaders and citizens, is to now ensure that justice and harmony reign in Nigeria; to devote the resources of our country solely to its development and for the benefit of all our citizens; and in the process, to ensure that every Nigerian feels comfortable in every part of Nigeria.

“We all have a stake in the Nigeria project and, while playing our respective parts in its unity, peace and progress, we must constantly keep faith with the promise of a greater Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, many dignitaries scheduled to attend the event physically were said to have been prevented from flying to Kano State due to harsh weather.

The Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; and the Minister of the Interior, Rauf Aregbesola are attending the event virtually, reports The Punch.

Others who also couldn’t attend the event physically due to the harsh weather are the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi; Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola and Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, amongst others.