Nigeria’s unity is paramount, Jonathan tells secessionist IPOB, MASSOB, others

Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday said that the unity of the country is paramount and that when there is tension in the land, no amount of demonstration will make things change for good.

He stated this in Abuja when he hosted a delegation of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ministers Forum.

Jonathan’s statement is coming as agitations for Biafra by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), and other Igbo groups are intensely demanding for a separation of South East region from Nigeria.

Jonathan said, “We should always use this period to know that the unity of the country is paramount. We cannot develop as a nation, no matter how people demonstrate, and no president can do magic, if there is tension in the land.

“This is because, immediately there is sense of insecurity in any country, investors will go back and when investors go back, of course, the economy will dwindle.

“What improves the economy is confidence and what makes investors to have confidence is peace. Nobody wants to invest where there is no peace, except those that invest in arms and ammunition.

“We should all pray and work toward that peace, that is the only way we can grow our economy.”

Jonathan advised Nigerians to pray for the unity of Nigeria as they celebrate Eid-el-Fitr by Muslims.

The former president appreciated the former ministers for putting up the forum as well as coming to celebrate Sallah with his family, adding that he is happy that former ministers saw the need to come together under a unique platform.

He said, “We should begin to reduce the cleavages and fault lines and form a political body that will look at things with national interest.“

Speaking, Alhaji Tanimu Turaki, the chairman of the forum, explained that the delegation was made up of former ministers from 1999 to 2015.

He said they came to visit him in order to keep him abreast with issues of national interest.

“Nigerians are beginning to appreciate the efforts you made in moving this country forward.

“Nigerians are still getting more aware of the enormous sacrifice you made to ensure that Nigeria remained together as one indivisible and indissoluble nation,” Turaki said.

Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation, who also spoke during the visit, told Jonathan, “You still have so much to offer this country. The future is great for us, for PDP and this country.”