Abdulsalami to governors: Watch your words — ethnic conflict could cause civil war

Abdulsalami Abubakar, former head of state, says Nigerians must embrace peace to avoid a repeat of the 1967-1970 civil war.

Abubakar noted that solutions to the tension in the country should be the objective of all stakeholders, instead of allowing the problems to degenerate into ethnic war.

The former head of state made his thoughts known when he featured on Morning Show, an Arise TV programme, on Thursday.

Abubakar said those who are old enough will remember the impact of the civil war, adding that a repeat must be avoided.

“The governors have found themselves in a very difficult situation, it is their responsibility to govern the state regardless of who and who is living in their states,” he said.

“It is sad that suddenly ethnic disharmony is rearing its head all over the place. You could see where the herders are being chased in some parts of the southern states and their cattle are being killed. Certainly, this will heighten tension in the country and it did.

“You could see some people migrating from one part of the country back to their states where they feel safer. God forbid this is taking us back to the 1960s where we had problems and this resulted in the civil war and people, who are old enough, know what happened.

“That is why the peace committee. We are calling for caution so that we do not go back to that road.”

Commenting on the role of governors in calming ethnic tension, the former head of state advised them to watch their utterances.

“Well, one, they must make sure there is law and order in their states and they must watch their utterances, because what they say people will take it as an order, so they as the governors should be aware of what they say,” he said.

“They should not say anything that will be misread that they are fighting people who are not of their states of origin.”

He urged governors to embrace dialogue and added that those who are committing crimes should be arrested and persecuted.

Commenting on the issue of killer herdsmen, the former head of state said: “It is unfortunate that herders have started arming themselves, causing some of the problems that we are going through.”

Abdulsalami also called on the government “to stop the proliferation of small arms in the country”.