Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, has advised separatist campaigners and those advocating for restructuring to embrace dialogue. He said it is better to “shoot ideas than shooting guns.”
He also noted that the issue of ‘national question’ will continue go on in Nigeria, even as he posited that it can only be resolved by justice.
Speaking at the 2017 Democracy Day lecture, organised in Abuja, by the Save Democracy-Africa,yesterday, Osinbajo maintained that what is important is for the needs of the people to be met.
Represented by Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, he pointed out that the attraction about the country is its big size and urged Nigerians to take advantage of the diversity.
“The issue of federal question is not what can be resolved even in the next 100 years. In countries like Britain, that have been in existence for more than 1,000 years, it has not been resolved up till now. That’s why we have Scotland still demanding for its independence from Britain, today. Soviet Union thought that when it scattered and separated and we have Russia that the issue of national question would have been fixed, but, today, the same issue still pervades and permeates Russia. Even in America, people are still asking questions; what is the position of blacks; what’s the position of women?
“It’s not something we can resolve in one lecture or in a country in one year or in one generation. It’s going to continue; our sons, our grand sons and daughters, our great grandchildren will continue to debate it.
“But, in between debating our national question, what do we do? That’s why I subscribe to the professor who said the issue of equity, justice, freedom must be resolved. If we are able to resolve these issues; bannish hunger in our land, provide housing for the homeless, if we are able to provide education free to our people, make sure that our infrastructures are working like in other parts of the world; if we ensure that there is justice for everybody, the issue of national question will become a luxury to be discussed just for the sake of discussing.”