Governors’ tactlessness could ignite another civil war, says Abubakar

A FORMER military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has advised state governors against tactlessness in the discharge of their constitutional duties in their various states.

Abubakar added that the utterances of helmsmen at various states could be misread by their loyalists  and spurred them into taking actions inimical to peaceful coexistence of people of different ethnic backgrounds.

Abdulsalami, said this while featuring on Arise TV’s ‘The Morning Show’ this morning.

Chairman of the National Peace Committee lamented the fact that Nigerians are poor students of history and warned that the actions of leaders should not ignite another civil  war as experienced about 44 years ago.

The former head of state said, “The governors have found themselves in a difficult situation. It is their responsibility to guard their states regardless of who and who is in their states. Ethnic disharmony is rearing itself all over the place. You could see where the herders are being chased from some of parts of the Southern states and their cattle are being killed. Certainly, this heightened tension in the country.

“Some people are also migrating from one part of the country back to their states where they feel safer. God forbid this is taking us back to the 1960 where we had a problem that resulted in the civil war. That is why myself and the peace committee are calling for caution so that we do not go back to that road.”

Asked what the governors must do to quell the tension in the country at the moment, Abdulsalami said, “They must make sure there is law and order in their states and they should watch their utterances because what they say, people will take it as an order.

“They as governors should be aware of what they say; they should not say anything that will be misread that they are fighting people who are not of their state origin.

“Having said that, there must be dialogue between the people who they feel are committing crimes in their areas. Certainly, if some people commit crimes, they should be arrested and prosecuted. It is their responsibility to save lives and properties of all Nigerians living in their states.”