Dr Garba Abari, Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), has cautioned politicians against inciting comments capable of threatening the peace and unity of the country.
Abari spoke on Sunday in Abuja when he appeared on the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
“Some politicians are fanning the embers of disunity through hate speech and derogative comments over the 2023 general elections.
“This trend is dangerous and highly inimical to the peace and unity of the country.
“The elections are over, but the language of politicians still remain toxic and intemperate. This is escalating the social tension.
“It is providing room for those who do not believe in the unity of the country to go about pulling from centrifugal perspectives in order to pull down the roof,’’ he said.
The NOA boss, however, commended those embracing constitutional means to seek redress instead of trying to push for social strife and violence.
Abari particularly urged politicians and their supporters to desist from using denigrating, offensive, hateful or inflammatory remarks.
“The elections have come and gone, the elections have been lost and they have been won; there are those who are happy and there are those who are aggrieved.
“Our country has provided constitutional processes to seek redress from such incidences; the laws of the land have given us opportunity to seek redress.
“Politicians must realise that there is life after elections and I want the media, in its reportage, to be very sensitive to the sensibility of Nigerians,’’ he said.
According to Abari, Nigeria must survive for anybody to actualise whatever political ambition he or she has.
He said, “When we have no country, we will have no government, we will have no National Assembly members, we will have no President nor Vice President and no governor.
“So, whatever it is that we are going to do, without prejudice to the right of everybody to feel the way he or she feels, please allow peace to reign.
“It is a right to feel angry and also a right to feel happy but talk in such a way that the country remains peaceful, stable and secure,’’ Abari said.
He further urged politicians not to create a situation that would lead to a breakdown of law and order through actions that are intemperate and wholesome.
“We are better together; if Nigeria breaks, which country in Africa can take 200 million refugees from Nigeria?
“God, in his infinite mercy, brought the Kanuri, Efik, Ijaw, Hausa, Fulani, Yoruba, Tiv, Nupe, Igala, Benin and all other tribes we have in Nigeria together.
“We didn’t bargain to be here, God put us here, so we must be conscious of this.
“God has blessed Nigeria abundantly in terms of population, expansive land mass, resources, talents. So, we must be thankful to Him through actions that will bring out these bounties for the benefit of all.
“The path to greatness depends on how much we are able to respect and tolerate one another and contribute our quota to national development.
“It is easy to destroy but absolutely difficult to rebuild,’’ Abari warned. (NAN)
