Pro-Biafra protests may destabilize Nigeria, Defence Minister warns

Minister of Defence, Mohammed Dan Ali, has warned that the current wave of pro-Biafra agitations in parts of the South-East of the country may escalate and constitute threat to national unity.

The Indigenous People of Biafra on a Peaceful Protest over the Arrest of the Director of Radio Biafra, along Ikwerre road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Photo: Nwankpa Chijioke

“Nigeria is currently facing many indices of destabilization,” the Minister said yesterday when he resumed duties at the Ship House, headquarters of the Ministry of Defence in Abuja.

According to him, the Federal Government in collaboration with what he described as stakeholders
should brainstorm and come up with a roadmap in order to abort any processes that may destabilize the nation.

He re-affirmed Federal Government’s commitment towards routing the “Boko Haram insurgency in parts of the North-East of the country.

According to him, “the APC had promised even before the coming of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration that it would fight the insurgency. The terrorists are on their way out, even before the December deadline and the President has shown openly that he is ready to fight the insurgency.

The Minister said that henceforth, all procurement for the military would be guided by due process, as, according to him, “arms and ammunition, stock verification and accountability will be key and joint operation is also very important as the Army, the Air Force and the Navy. Also, jointness in operation is very important. If the army operates on its own, the Navy, the Air force must work together to achieve a common goal.

“Leadership is all about integrity, honesty and transparency. There cannot be a good leader without these three things. You cannot be a good leader if you don’t have integrity, you cannot be a good leader if you don’t have honesty, so also, transparency. Forget about corruption. Corruption can never come near you if you have these qualities. So gentlemen, we should imbibe these three qualities.

“Where is your integrity when your own Chief of Army Staff stood up and said his Commander- in- Chief of the Armed Forces has no WAEC, How? Please let us be sincere with ourselves. Because that day, you should have stood up and said no. If you leave the job, is that the end of your life? If you leave the job there are other ways, better ways that God can use to bless your life,”Ali said.

He described his appointment as ordained by God, as he noted that, “we are all selected here by the grace of the Almighty God. It is not because you are better than any other person in your locality or in your course. It is not because you are the best. So, you should be answerable to the Almighty God who has honoured us and given us these leadership positions.

Source: Vanguard