Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Olabode George, has advised Nigerians to see the recent comment by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on the security situation in the country as a wakeup call.
Speaking with The Point recently, Chief George condemned the current insecurity that pervades the country, just as he lambasted former Governor of Jigawa State, Dr Sule Lamido, for describing Obasanjo as a religious bigot.
George said tribal and religious divisions in the land had not been so pronounced in the country, noting that before now, the Fulani and the Hausa from the north lived peacefully with the southerners without any acrimony or violence.
Wondering about the sudden strain in the relationship between the ethnic nationalities in the country, he said, “We have existed together and the respect we had for ourselves was a sine qua non. My best friend till today remains a Fulani man that I met in the military and he is my brother.
“Recently, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo made a comment as a concerned Nigerian that things are not going right. This incursion by the Fulani is disturbing, and what Sule Lamido said was absolute nonsense. It is an insult calling Obasanjo a religious bigot. Didn’t he know what Baba Obasanjo suffered for the unity of this nation? He has always been a nationalist in the eyes of the people of this country. Is he not the same Obasanjo that brought him to national limelight by making him Minister? Now, he is calling him a religious bigot; that is rubbish.
“Professor Wole Soyinka also made the same observation. You know they are not always on the same page. The voices are coming and as a concerned Nigerian you must say it so that the President should go and find out what is happening and do something on time.
“The way we are going now, creating unnecessary tribal division and expanding it, it has not been this bad. What is our problem? When Obasanjo left office as a military Head of State in 1979 he handed over to Alhaji Sheu Shagari, a Fulani man. A lot of our people have painted his name in black that he should have given it to Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
There was no name they didn’t call him. He is not a frivolous person. He will tell you how it is and that is how to be a General.
