Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has again written to President Muhammadu Buhari, warning that Nigeria is tipping towards a dangerous cliff and only the president could forestall such looming disaster.
In the letter dated July 15, Obasanjo said Western countries have been warning Nigeria against descending into violence amid rising security challenges.
“Nigeria is on the precipice and dangerously reaching a tipping point where it may no longer be possible to hold danger at bay,” Obasanjo said in the letter released by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi.
He called on herdsmen to make their grievances known if any.
“Whatever may be the grievances of Fulanis, if any, they need to be put out in the open and their grievances, if legitimate, be addressed; and if other ethnic groups have grievances, let them also be brought out in the open and addressed through debate and dialogue,” the former president said.
On the killing of Funke Olakunrin, daughter of Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, Obasanjo said: “With the death of Funke, Chief Fasoranti’s daughter, some sympathetic Nigerian groups are saying ‘enough is enough’. Prof. Anya, a distinguished Nigerian merit Laureate, has this to say ‘We can no longer say with certainty that we have a nation’. Niger-Delta leaders, South-Eastern leaders, Middle-Belt leaders and Northern Elders Forum have not remained quiet. Different ordinary Nigerians at home and abroad are calling for different measures to address or ameliorate the situation.”
Obasanjo called for a national conference which would “come up with the solution that will effectively deal with the issues and lead to rapid development”.
“Some of the groups that I will suggest to be contacted are: traditional rulers, past heads of service (no matter how competent or incompetent they have been and how much they have contributed to the mess we are in), past heads of para-military organisations, private sector, civil society, community leaders particularly in the most affected areas, present and past governors, present and past local government leaders, religious leaders, past Heads of State, past intelligence chiefs, past Heads of Civil Service and relevant current and retired diplomats, members of opposition and any groups that may be deemed relevant.”
