Gov. Aregbesola Warns Against Another Civil War

File Photo: Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola

Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, has said that Nigerians are unknowingly gearing the nation towards the outbreak of another civil war through several crises on going in the country.

In a statement by the governor’s media aide, Mr. Sola Fasure, the governor, according to Punch, said this on Monday at the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration.

Aregbesola called on every Nigerian to collaborate with the government to ensure peace in the country by avoiding things that could result to war.

He said, “Through carelessness, thoughtlessness, selfishness, wickedness and hate mongering, the country may unwittingly be pushing itself towards another war. War is a very bad business. It is costly, deadly and ruinous, even for a supposedly winner.

“It is worse for the loser. Indeed, all are losers in a war. The resources, human and material, used to prosecute wars could have been used for the development of the people. The lesson of history is that nations and people emerged from wars weakened, devastated, poor and vulnerable.

“The worst part is that though a nation’s decision to go to war or not may be easy before the outbreak of hostilities, it is more difficult and sometimes impossible to decide to stop a war; thus we have prolonged and sometimes an indeterminate war. This is the hard part.

“We see the devastations of war in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon (and closer home) in Liberia and Sierra Leone. While some like Liberia and Sierra Leone are fortunate to put the war behind them, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and Iraq have found it difficult to stop their own wars.

“Lebanon lost its Paradise and Pearl of the Middle East status to the United Arab Emirates. The mutual antagonism and distrust that the Nigerian Civil War bred are still with us.”

He added, “In the interest of the black race, Nigeria must not just exist, it must be strong to be able to lead the continent to achieve its manifest destiny.

“The greatest riches of the continent are domiciled in the Great Lakes Region comprising Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.

“Nigeria should be strong and provide leadership with South Africa and the leaders of the region to be able to develop these riches for the development of the people of the continent and for Africa to be able to take her place in the world.”

The governor therefore, advised Nigerians, especially the youths, not to be solely dependent on the revenue generated from crude oil.

He urged them to apply their education to solving economic crisis bedeviling the country, saying that would be a good alternative to make sustainable wealth because crude oil would soon lose its value.