Chidi Samuel || President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday said he is disappointed that some Igbo leaders did not call leaders of IPOB, the Biafra separatist group fighting for the secession of the South East from Nigeria to order.
The President in his Independent broadcast to the country said his administration will not supervise the disintegration of the country.
President Buhari who recalled his experiences in the war front as an army officer during the Nigeria civil war said that most of the people calling for secession did not witness the civil war.
The President said, “As a young army officer, I took part from the beginning to the end in our tragic civil war costing about 2m lives, resulting in fearful destruction and untold suffering. Those who are agitating for a re-run were not born by 1967 and have no idea of the horrendous consequences of the civil conflict which we went through.”
“I am very disappointed that responsible leaders of these communities do not warn their hot-headed youths what the country went through. Those who were there should tell those who were not there, the consequences of such folly.
“At all events, proper dialogue and any desired constitutional changes should take place in a rational manner, at the national and state assemblies. These are the proper and legal fora for Nntional debate, not some lop-sided, un-democratic body with pre-determined set of objectives.
“However, in spite of oil prices being an average of $100 per barrel and about 2.1m barrels a day, that great piece of luck was squandered and the country’s social and physical infrastructure neglected. We were left with no savings and huge infrastructure deficit,” he said.
“The APC government’s campaign rallying cry to restore security, re-balance the economy and fight corruption was not all rhetoric.
“The country must first be secured. The economy must be re-balanced so that we do not depend on oil alone. We must fight corruption which is Nigeria’s number One enemy. Our administration is tackling these tasks in earnest.”
President Buhari also noted that the country under his watch has provided an enabling environment to enable citizens to express their views but regretted that the “freedom” is now subject to abuse.
He said, “In the past two years, Nigeria has recorded appreciable gains in political freedom. A political party at the centre losing elections of state governor, national assembly seat and even state assemblies to the opposition parties is new to Nigeria. Added to these are complete freedom to associate, to hold and disseminate opinions. Such developments clearly attest to the country’s growing political development. But like all freedoms, this is open to abuse.”