…Don’t set Nigeria ablaze with incendiary rhetoric, FG warns leaders

…See critics as well-wishers not adversaries — Afenifere

…Muslim, Christian leaders should tone down rhetoric — ACF

…Don’t treat critics as enemies, Ohanaeze, ADF tell FG

…Nepotism causing differences, not comments of religious, political groups — PANDEF

…Opinion, ethnic, religious leaders are conscience of Nigeria, not out to set it ablaze – MBF to FG

…Exercise caution in your treatment of critics, CAN tells FG

…Warning timely, right step — JNI

By Anayo Okoli, Regional Editor, South-East, Peter Duru, Dapo Akinrefon, Luminous Jannamike, Davies Iheamnachor with agency reports

Outrage yesterday greeted the statement by the Federal Government which warned political, religious and opinion leaders to stop making inciting statements capable of setting the country ablaze.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had given the warning at the 64th Conference of the UN World Tourism Organisation, UNWTO, Commission and the Second Edition of UNWTO Global Tourism Investment Forum in Sal Island, Cape Verde, yesterday.

His warning drew the ire of regional groups, such as the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Middle Belt Forum, MBF, and Alaigbo Development Foundation, ADF, who all considered the warning a ploy to shut down critics of government.

The Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, held a similar view of the situation but the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, disagreed with others, asking Muslim and Christian leaders to tone down their rhetoric.

Minister warns media

But speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, on the sideline of the global event, the minister also cautioned the media, particularly broadcast stations, which he described as purveyors of incendiary rhetoric, to abide by broadcast codes and other regulations guiding them.

He said: “In the last few weeks, the country has been awash, especially from the broadcast media, with very incendiary rhetoric which has created a sort of panic in Nigeria.

“The incendiary rhetoric that comes from political, religious leaders and some opinion moulders have the capacity to set the country on fire.

“This is because the rhetoric is pitting one ethnic group and religion against the other and over-heating the polity.

“Our serious counsel to stakeholders is that they should understand and remember that leadership comes with a lot of responsibilities, tone down the hateful rhetoric because they are harmful for the country

“They should remember that every war is preceded by these kind of mindless rhetoric, especially when it comes from otherwise responsible people who the people have the tendency to take seriously.”

He recalled the situation in Rwanda where a radio station and one extremist magazine set the stage for the genocide in which more than 800,000 people were killed in 1994.

According to him, the cacophony of hate and incendiary rhetoric from various radio stations and online publications in recent weeks are capable of causing panic, further divide the country along religious and ethnic lines.

“We agree that there are challenges but the government is doing its best in addressing insecurity, banditry, insurrections and fixing the economy.

“What one expected from these leaders at this trying period is support and encouragement. It is, however, quite disturbing that they have thrown caution to the winds and it is no longer about leadership and maturity but about who can say something that can break this country.

“Certain words that we were afraid of using before such as genocide and ethnic cleansing, are now taking over the media waves.

“That is why it is important to call everybody to order to appeal to their sense of patriotism that they should understand that because there is a country called Nigeria, that is why they are leaders.

“If what they are praying for happens, they will no longer be leaders but servants in other countries,” he said.

The minister said the National Broadcasting Commission and other regulators will ensure that broadcast stations abide by statutory laws and ethics.

He said any station that violated the broadcast code and ethics would be “shown the red card.”

 See critics as well-wishers, not adversaries — Afenifere

Reacting to Alhaji Lai Mohammed’s warning, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, faulted the Federal Government and urged it to see those criticizing its policies and programmes as well-wishers and not adversaries.

Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, said in a statement: “It is a matter of serious concern that the All Progressives Congress, APC, which rose to power on the crest of populism and benefited immensely from the prevailing freedom of speech is the one now trying to put padlocks on the mouth of everybody.

“It is alright to warn all concerned against setting the country ablaze. But perhaps there is the need to educate us on which of the two categories of people is setting the country ablaze — those who kidnap, kill and maim or those who are calling attention to the misdeeds of the first category.

“It looks like in the lexicon of the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, those calling on government to deal with terrorists and bandits are the ones who should mind themselves, while bandits could be pampered, especially once they announced that they have given up banditry.

“It does not matter that they had sent thousands to early graves, maimed many and rendered thousands homeless. Those in the corridors of power today should remember that there is no condition that is permanent.

“Opinion leaders and most religious leaders are constructive in their criticisms. They are talking because they want the government to succeed. This category of people can never want the country to lack peace. They cannot ply their respective trades in an atmosphere of chaos.

“Government officials would do themselves, the government they serve as well as the country at large a lot of good by seeing critics as well-wishers, rather than as adversaries. Alhaji Mohammed, a lawyer and public relations officer, ought to be a crusader of freedom rather than working on restricting people’s rights to responsible speech.”

Muslim, Christian leaders should tone down rhetoric – ACF

However, Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, agreed with the Federal Government, and asked Christian and Muslim leaders to tone down their comments on national issues.

National Publicity Secretary of the group, Emmanuel Yawe, said yesterday: “Christian and Muslim leaders should tone down their rhetoric, especially on matters that border on national security.”

He said doing so is imperative, due to how sensitive religious issues could be among Nigerians.

Don’t see critics as enemies, Ohanaeze tells FG

In its reaction, Ohanaeze Ndigbo cautioned the Federal Government not to see people who point out injustices and unequal treatment as making inciting statements.

Spokesman of the group, Alex Ogbonnia, said yesterday: “I hope the government is not seeing condemnation of the injustices and unfairness going on in the government as inciting comments.

“The government should do things in line with justice, equity and fairness; and let you, the government, lay solid foundation for things to be done with equity and justice. You cannot beat a child and tell him not to cry.”

Also, reacting, Igbo elite body, Alaigbo Development Foundation, ADF, said Nigerians are not inciting anybody but only reacting to deliberate policies of the Buhari administration, describing the warning as unfortunate.

Speaking through its spokesman Chief Abia Onyike, ADF said: “The government of President Muhammadu Buhari has maintained a deliberate policy of divisiveness, impunity, callousness and insensitivity which   resulted in untold national   hardship, sufferings, deaths and avoidable   calamities.

“It is in the face of such neo-fascist and anti-peoples policies that we criticize the dictatorial antics of Buhari and his extreme right-wing party, the APC.

“For them to turn round to issue threats and warnings to their critics is unfortunate. It shows that Buhari is hell-bent on continuing with his fascism and vicious policies on the Nigerian people. He is not ready to make amends, rather he is thinking of how to clamp down on opposition voices in Nigeria so as to prove the point that he is an enemy of liberal democracy.”

Nepotism causing differences, not comments of religious, political groups— PANDEF

Also reacting, the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, said the act of nepotism by the present administration was responsible for the differences in the country and not comments by well meaning Nigerians.

National Publicity Secretary of PANDEF, Ken Robinson, said in Port Harcourt that comments on state affairs by political and religious groups are targeted at uniting and developing the nation, regretting that the Federal Government is creating divisions through its policies and appointments.

READ ALSO: Critics should focus on my manifesto, not my age — Rasaq, 35-yr-old Coker/Aguda LCDA chairmanship aspirant

Robinson said: “It is a laughable statement. This administration should stop deceiving itself. The actions of this government are the greatest threats to the unity of this country. Nothing has caused disaffection and division in Nigeria more than the nepotism of the Federal Government.

“If the Federal Government and President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration want a progressive and united Nigeria, they should change the manner they conduct the affairs of government.

“The discriminatory and biased nature of the government is the greatest challenge to the unity of Nigeria and so, asking religious bodies and socio-cultural and political groups not to make statements that will causes differences in the country is just playing to the gallery, or begging the matter.

“What the government needs to do is to change its approach to the conduct of affairs of state — be more inclusive in appointments, be more inclusive in its programmes. be less biased and discriminatory in the way it’s exercising the powers of state.

“That is what is needed and not issuing unnecessary threats against patriotic groups that are working towards the unity and progress of Nigeria.”

Opinion, ethnic, religious leaders not out to set Nigeria ablaze — MBF

In his reaction, the National President of Middle Belt Forum, MBF, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, said opinion, ethnic and religious leaders are the conscience of the nation who are not out to set the country ablaze with their comments on national issues.

Pogu, who spoke in Makurdi, said the leaders are only reacting to bad policies of the government in order to get the government on the right track

He said:  “These people are the conscience of the country, they are only responding to the wrong deeds of the government

“Rather than condemning them, let the government do the right thing. Nobody will condemn or criticize a good policy or good implementation of policy.

“So what I am saying is that the Federal Government should look inwards, look at its policies, look at the implementation of policies, especially with regards to insecurity in the country and do things rightly.

“If they do things right, they are going to get positive commendations rather than criticisms. Nobody can set the country ablaze. What everybody is doing is trying to solve the problem of the country by speaking to power so that government would know that what they are doing is wrong.

“They are the ones that are going to destroy the country if they continue with their bad policies and programmes. Let them right the wrongs, so the country can move forward rather than playing the blame game.

“This same government, when it came in 2015, for more than four years was just blaming the previous government for the economic woes of the country rather than facing its challenge.

“Today, insecurity has gone from bad to worse. They should look inward and find solution to it, and stop heaping blames on opinion leaders who now serve as the conscience of the nation.”

Gagging critics’ll worsen situation — CAN

Reacting in a similar manner, Christian Association of Nigeria, urged the Federal Government to exercise caution in the manner it handled the observations and comments made by critics.

CAN President, Reverend Samson Ayokunle, spoke against the backdrop of heightened tensions that have trailed the recent comments by some eminent Nigerians on national television regarding the government’s handling of the country’s security challenges.

In a statement issued in Abuja, Ayokunle, who warned that gagging the people who speak about the failures of government would only worsen the situation, however, called for restraints and balanced judgement.

He said: “We urge the government not to gag the people or see those who speak about the failures of government as enemies to be intimidated, hounded down like preys and arrested. This will only worsen the situation but also widen the divide and fan embers of passion

“We also urge the government to tolerate criticisms that are constructive as they would help in finding solutions to our problems, especially those that expose the ills in our society and the people behind our ordeals. This would help us get to the roots of our problems and solve them.

“CAN admonishes those in political leadership of the nation to exercise caution in the way they treat observations of people and comments so as not to further plunge the nation into unnecessary crisis.”

Ayokunle urged Nigerians to be circumspect and candid in their comments, even as they demonstrate respect for those in leadership positions.

He said: “We must avoid inciting people against targeting leaders, ethnic and religious groups. Let us seek to promote peace, love and unity in all we say and do.

“However, that does not erode the people’s rights and freedom of expression to speak the truth always to those they elected into power without fear.

“We once again urge Nigerians to run away from spreading fake news because it is damaging and totally unhelpful.”

Ayokunle also advised the government to allow the press exercise the legal freedom and right to disseminate information without any intimidation or fear but with strict adherence to ethics of the pen profession.

Warning to religious, political leaders step in right direction — JNI

In its own reaction, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, has described the Federal Government’s warning to political and religious leaders to stop spewing incendiary rhetoric capable of setting the country ablaze as a step in the right direction.

JNI Secretary-General Dr. Kahlid Aliyu, who said this in an interview with Vanguard yesterday, described as unfortunate the fact that some leaders who ought to ensure peace and harmony in the country were culpable in the efforts to destabilize it.

He said: “It is painful, disheartening and unhealthy for some of our leaders to be the people seeking to set the country ablaze with their rhetorics.

“Religious and ethnic differences are not sufficient grounds to seek to ignite fire in the country. Elsewhere, the situation among Nigerians are not so divisive.

“But at home, we tend to make unguarded remarks about our country because the law is not usually allowed to take its course against those responsible or such negative comments.

“The Federal Government’s warning is a clarion call for introspection and dialogue among religious and political leaders, especially when and where grievances exist.”

Vanguard News Nigeria