Obasanjo Calls For National Reconciliation
March 14, 2000
Paul Ejime
PANA Correspondent
LAGOS, Nigeria (PANA) - Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has enjoined
his restive compatriots to confess their sins and embrace genuine
reconciliation following three weeks of bloody religious and ethnic
turbulence in the land.
In a speech Monday to mark the Commonwealth Day, which dwelt extensively on
the national crises, he said Nigerians should "confess (their) individual
and collective sins in this land where so much innocent blood has been
spilled."
The sectarian conflict, over the introduction of the Islamic Sharia law in
the Moslem-dominated north, has pitted Christians against Moslems, resulting
in more than 300 deaths and massive destruction to property.
This has evoked reprisal attacks fuelled by inciting statements from both
sides amid growing call for the separation of the ethnically-diverse and
multi-religious federation of 36 states.
Obasanjo urged "Christians and Moslems alike, during (this) Lent and Id el
Fitr period to pray for forgiveness, genuine reconciliation, brotherhood and
good neighbourliness."
Visibly shaken, but sounding rather prophetic, the president assured
Nigerians "that we have a divine visitation and work in our nation. God has
come to rescue, deliver and redeem Nigeria."
Obasanjo, who said he was personally "saddened" by the events of the past
three weeks, noted that "men and women can only delay that plan of God, but
they cannot derail it."
Describing the events as "unfortunate," he added that they had rather
strengthened his resolve and commitment to the service of Nigeria.
"It is highly mischievous and extremely unpatriotic, to say the least, to
make further emotional capital of the very sad situation with unfounded
claims of marginalisation or campaigns for confederation, or separatism in
any form," he warned.
Turning to the theme of the Commonwealth Day, 'The Challenge Of
Communication', Obasanjo counselled that the "shadow of tragedy over our
country today challenges us to communicate effectively and meaningfully with
one another".
But he said the recommended communication "must not be talking at cross
purposes. It must not be talking at each other and it must not be posturing
or playing to the gallery of ill-formed audience."
It was interesting that Obasanjo had to use the platform of the British-led
Commonwealth, to which Nigeria was only readmitted in October after a
five-year suspension, to dwell on his country's crises.
He reassured Nigeria's international friends and investors that "the
(tragic) events are both mere bumps on the very rough road to re-building
and reviving our nation."
"There is absolutely no evidence of permanent damage, we are most certainly
going to surmount the temporary obstacle," he added.
He said that most Nigerians were already "putting the tragedy behind them
and working together, Moslems and Christians, for collective progress."
But while Obasanjo sounded conciliatory on the religious conflagration, his
spokesman has read the riot act to those he called government detractors.
Doyin Okupe warned that government's reconciliatory posture, should not be
misconstrued as a sign of weakness.
"The enemies of this administration who hide under the cloak of religious
piety to try to destabilise it, would fail," he told reporters Sunday.
He added that government had the capacity "to act decisively against any
person or groups of persons who may wish to either by overt or covert acts,
disrupt the peace of this nation or bring government to disrepute."
Okupe also insisted that government is seeking a political rather than legal
solution to the Sharia debacle.
He argued that a legal solution could trigger greater chaos and pandemonium
since none of the northern state governors that have either introduced or
were about to introduce Sharia, had disagreed with the Council of State's
decision suspending the implementation of Sharia.
A suit against the Zamfara state government, which first introduced Sharia
in October, is pending before a Gusau High Court.
It was filed by a human rights group seeking a constitutional interpretation
of Sharia status, as well as the limit of state or federal government
involvement in religious matter.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 2000 Panafrican News Agency. All Rights Reserved.
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
