A group under the umbrella of Journalists for United Nigeria (JUN) has called on Nigerians and those calling for break up of the country to take a cue from the situation in Afghanistan and tow the path of peace in resolving ethical, religious and political differences.
The group urged Nigerians to join hands in building a country that can be proud of for the sake of the unborn generation, adding that solution to our problems would never come from West or East.
In a statement issued on Tuesday at the end of formal launching of the group by the Convener, a journalist and columnist, Mr Frederick Nwabufo in Abuja said: ”The usurpation of power by the Taliban in Afghanistan and the ensuing turmoil in the country despite decades of military support by powerful countries is a caution to all on why peace-loving citizens must defend and preserve Nigeria’s peace and security.
” There is no salvation in the West or in the East; we Nigerians are the potter, we must build Nigeria with our own hands. Nigerians must defend and preserve Nigeria’s peace and security. There is no salvation in the West or in the East; we Nigerians are the potter, we must build Nigeria with our own hands.
‘’The events in the country recently call for patriots to rise up and hold the fort. We cannot palliate the enormity of the challenges that confront us as a people today. We have come to a point where all citizens, statesmen and women, young and old, must hold out hands and forge a common fist to deal with these existential threats.
The group reiterated the need for Nigerians to denounce violence and embrace peace at all costs and build bridges across the board instead of propagating hate and division.
The statement attributed the reasons behind the calls for secession to the consequence of leadership failure by the successive governments stating that there was a need to address the root cause instead of deploying brute force.
The statement read ‘’Nigeria is ours. Nigeria is worth fighting for. As a peace and national unity advocate, the Association of Journalists for United Nigeria (JUN) better known as Journalists for United Nigeria (JUN) calls on all Nigerians and critical stakeholders in the country to make the pursuit of peace at this tempestuous epoch in our evolution a bounden duty.
‘’JUN, a group committed to peace-building, national cohesion and progress, notes the agitations for secession in some sections of the country. While it is within the rights of anyone to agitate and seek self-determination, violence and coercion in any form, should not be part of any righteous advocacy.
‘’We must denounce violence in all forms by all actors. Violence should not be found among the civilised human species. Violence achieves nothing but death, broken bones, and spilt blood. When agitations result in loss of lives and property, the state naturally will move to restore order
‘’We would like to emphasise that self-determination is a universal right, but taking up arms to kill citizens and security agents pivots on the bounds of terrorism. All Nigerians should pursue constitutional means in whatever they seek. The cost of war is greater than the price of peace. There are no real victors in a war — only death and destruction.
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‘’We acknowledge some of the fundamental issues behind these agitations – social inequality, poverty, unemployment, injustice and corruption. These are issues affecting all the people of Nigeria. Every Nigerian is marginalised. And this is a consequence of leadership failure over the years. We ask the government to look into the underlying causes of these agitations – beyond deploying force. We cannot successfully treat metastasising cancer if we do not surgically address the root causes “
Nwabufo added that JUN was; not a pressure or lobby group, but a think-factory to connect minds in the media who are committed to a united Nigeria.
‘’We believe the media possesses some of the brightest minds. JUN is more or less a discussion forum for like-minded people. It is non-partisan; it is not a pressure group. It is not a lobby group; it is not a political group. It is a forum where journalists can converge to exchange ideas and opinions on how to strengthen national unity” He stated.
