Politicians must avoid divisive comments, says Unity Forum

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

A group of elders under the aegis of Unity Forum have cautioned against comments capable of undermining the unity of the country.
The group made its position known in a statement in Abuja yesterday signed by its chairman, Alhaji Maigida Musa Abdu.
The Forum frowned against people exploiting the security challenge in parts of the country to make political capital out of it, warning that inflammatory comments by influential figures are capable of aggravating the security challenges which it said is not in anybody’s interest.
The Forum called on elders to use their influence for mentorship that should help in dousing social tension rather than worsening them.
“The founding fathers of this country have laboured to bring about a lovely country bound by beautiful people and wonderful cultures. We must not use our words to tears the country apart against the expectation of our founding fathers.
“We must find a peaceful and amicable ways of expressing dissent, by drawing one another together in a dispute resolution dialogue, rather than taking laws into our hands,” the Forum said in the statement.
According to the Forum, we are better together than if we are apart. “We should not exploit one another’s weaknesses for political gains. We should strive to encourage one another to overcome our weaknesses, so that together we can build a country driven by unity, peace and love for one another,” the statement said.