By Dele Ogbodo
The former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, and the former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Obadiah Mailafia,
have warned on the negative consequences of the increasing farmers and herdsmen clash across the country.
Speaking at the presentation of 3 books in Abuja on Thursday written by Nigeria’s former Representative to the United Nations Security Council, Prof. Joy Ogwu, they averred that the time has come for government to pay adequate attention to youth leadership and development in the country.
The former minister stressed the need for Nigerians to see themselves as one and stop all wanton killings and destructions in the country, stressing that instead of being our brother’s keeper we have become our brother’s killers, which has become very disturbing.
In his remarks, the former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Dr. Obadiah Mailafia also warned that the increasing herders/farmers clashes in the country is a time-bomb capable of consuming the country if not tackled with the seriousness it deserves.
He said the situation particularly the latest attack on communities in Benue State, if not nipped in the bud could lead to food shortage and famine in the country.
While delivering a lecture on: The Crisis of Leadership and World Order, the Ex banker, tasked the leadership of the country on the need to ensure peace and harmony in order to accelerate the country’s development.
He said: “Without peace and harmony, nothing good will come. But without justice, there can be no peace to speak of. “We are encouraged by the enormous efforts our military, through the leadership of the current administration to break the back of the Boko Haram insurgency.
“However, there are still many more rivers to cross. We need to finish the job and build a framework for a just and lasting peace in the northeast and the rest of the country.”
Mailafia, described the recent killings in Benue as a de fact war, said if care is not taken, the situation may not only undermine national food security but also, ultimately, the future of the federation.
According to him, if Nigeria must attain her potential as a great nation and leader of Africa and the black race, there is need for a coalition of Nigerians who believe in the nation’s manifest destiny as the leader of the continent.
“We are meant to be a city set on a hill, a light unto nations. But we can only fulfill that destiny if we reinvent our nation as country anchored on positive science, peace, the rule of law, social justice and humane values.
“In so doing we must remain open to the world, to Europe, Asia and the Americas- building partnerships that promote trade, investments and a rules-based international system that guarantees the security of all nations.”
Author of the books, Ogwu, in her remarks appealed to all Nigerians to be good citizen wherever they found themselves, explaining that loyalty to one’s country is a way of moving the country forward.