Presidency warns biafra agitators

The Nigerian presidency has warned those agitating
for a breakaway Biafra republic to have a rethink,
saying the federal government would not fold its
hands and allow anyone plunge the country into
crisis.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who gave the warning
on Saturday, in Jos, said government would not
watch while some individuals and groups create
unnecessary tension in the country in the guise of
seeking to break away from Nigeria.
“We need to build the civic capacity to defeat the
false and dangerous premises and assumption of
violence extremism. Never again should we allow
mindless violence inspired by false and evil
precepts to threaten our national security,” Mr.
Osinbajo said.
“Let me again call on persons or group in the
country who have some grievance or disaffection to
submit to peaceful and democratic means of
expressing themselves.”
The vice president spoke at the graduation
ceremony of the Executive Course 37 of the
National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies
(NIPSS) Kuru, which graduated 63 participants
Saturday.
In his spech, Mr. Osinbajo reminded those
embarking on mass protest for Biafra that their
“right to protest is limited by the rights of others to
safety and peaceful existence”.
“We can offer our country opinion without violating
the law of the land or threatening law and order.”
He urged the protesters to join hands with the
Buhari-led administration to develop Nigeria, saying
the administration would soon end the Boko Haram
insurgency in the country.
“Let me reiterate that Boko Haram terrorism as well
as their ideology will soon be defeated and
consigned to history,” Mr. Osinbajo said.
He admitted there were educational setbacks in the
country, but said the APC-led administration would
tackle the challenges in the sector as a means of
ensuring better future for Nigeria’s younger
generation.
“While accepting that our educational system is in a
dangerously parlous state, the solutions are obvious
even if not easy,” the Vice-President said.
“We have to focus on early child education, retrain
teachers, ensure that our curricular will prepare our
children for the 21st century.”
He charged the NIPSS new graduates to use the
experiences garnered during the 10-month course to
develop Nigeria in their fields of endeavour.
Earlier in an address, the Director General of NIPSS,
Ahmed Tijani, said the course’s 37 participants
made valuable contributions for national
development, particularly in the educational sector.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that with Saturday’s
graduation, NIPSS has since 1979, when it was
established, graduated 1781 course participants.