Vice President, Yemi OsinbajoVice President Yemi Osinbajo has warned that Nigeria may be heading to worse situation than what it is going through now if the elites don’t speak out against the evil in the land.
“If we keep quiet, if we say nothing and hope that things will just normalize, we may be wrong. And we may find ourselves heading for something much worse than we are seeing today.
“If the political elite does not speak up, if we don’t see anything wrong in what is going on, if we allow it to continue to slide, we will endanger ourselves and endanger the future of our country.”
Professor Osinbajo, who spoke today with All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders from the Southeast, particularly chieftains and members from Anambra State, insisted: “we cannot afford a war in this country…it is the political elite that will determine what will take place.”
The Vice President stressed that every conflict is a result of elite failure, “the elite failure to speak up and tell the truth to their communities. That is the cause of every one of these civil conflicts.
“So, I would urge that we speak up. I would urge that we stand for something. Sometimes it’s dangerous to stand for something. But the greater danger of course, is to keep quiet.”
Professor Osinbajo cautioned that “the thing about the kinds of conflicts in these parts of the world is that it is usually a war without end. Everyone who thinks that they have some money stored up somewhere is wrong, you will eventually run out.
he recalled a personal experience in Somalia in the 90s when he went there to work with the United Nations, saying that he saw a Supreme Court Justice whom he had known before queuing up for food in the aftermath of civil conflicts in the country.
“Everyone who thinks they can go and hide somewhere, you won’t even find a place. In the end, everyone will suffer. Parents, children, young people, old people, will suffer.”
On the forthcoming primaries for the governorship election in Anambra State, the Vice President said that a fair process or fairness of justice will be fundamental in ensuring victory for the party at the polls.
Professor Osinbajo said that to be fair and just is not the responsibility for spirits, but the responsibility for men and women of the party, especially the leadership.
Party chieftains present at the meeting included former Senate President, Ken Nnamani; Minister of State for Mines & Steel Development, Uche Ogah, Minister of State for Labour & Productivity, other party leaders and members from the Southeast, and the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, among others.
