One Nigeria Group (ONG), a non-governmental and non-political organisation, has charged Nigerians to rise against individuals and groups who have become unpaid crusaders of secession; currently threatening the peace and unity of the country.
The President of the Group, Muhammad Sale Hassan, made the call at the Unity Fountain, Abuja, on Wednesday, during a peace march on the heels of the ongoing trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Hassan stressed that secession agitations by some groups and individuals must not be treated with kid gloves; as they remain a barrier in the harmonious co-existence in the country.
“We are calling on every Nigerian for support. This secession that people are looking at as a small thing is not a small thing at all. We better stand up and rise against it, rise against ethnocentrism, rise against religious sentiment and respect our institutions so that we can build our country on the foundation of law and order.
“It should not be about this man is our tribe, why are they persecuting him? Countries in America and Europe build their foundations on the rule of law and order, national values and strong institutions. That is why they prosper. But we live in a country where people bring ethnic sentiment to court and everything we do in this country. We have to do away with this,” he said.
He added: “We need to emphasise the unity of this country where we can live in peace, where our children can get appointments on merit and not religious or ethnic background or group but only as a Nigerian.”
While explaining the rationale behind the march further, the ONG leader noted: “All we are doing here today is not about Nnamdi Kanu or anybody. We are fighting secession. We are also redeeming our pledges to our country. We are calling on all Nigerians to redeem their pledges to Nigeria and fight against secession. That is what I am addressing today through a peace march.”
“We are calling on Nigerians to love their country and support its unity. We are telling Nigerians that we should build our country on the platform of the rule of law.
“That is why we are here to ensure that nobody intimidates our judges and nobody stops them from dispensing justice in this case,” Hassan said.
He also stressed that trial of any secession group or individual should be based strictly on the rule of law and not sentiment.
“The law is not a respecter of any individual. The individual should be the one to respect the law. The law does not even give the president the right to intervene in the trial. We are not living in a jungle. We know what we are doing. Politicising the case by going to the presidential villa to influence the president is not necessary,” he stressed.