ABUJA, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari on Monday made his first official statement since returning from a long medical vacation in London last Saturday, saying the country's unity was settled and not negotiable.
Buhari, in an early morning broadcast to the nation, condemned recent comments and discussions, especially in the social media, which questioned Nigeria's existence as a united country.
"We shall not allow irresponsible elements to start trouble and when things get bad they run away and saddle others with the responsibility of bringing back order, if necessary with their blood," the 74-year-old former military ruler said.
According to him, such comments and hate speeches from different sections and ethnic groups of the most populous African country had "crossed national red lines" and "a step too far."
Buhari said while on vacation in London, he kept in daily touch with events at home and observed that Nigerians were robust and lively in discussing their affairs, but he was distressed to notice that some of the comments, especially in the social media, promoted hatred and disunity among the various ethnic groups.
The Nigerian leader said this did not, however, mean that there were no legitimate concerns among different groups in the country, adding that the beauty and attraction of a federation were that it allowed groups to air their grievances.
He called on Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnoreligious backgrounds, to shun all divisive tendencies to enable the nation to tackle the challenges of economic security, political evolution, integration and lasting peace among others.
He also urged citizens with genuine grievances to always channel them through proper and legally acceptable bodies for possible solutions, noting the National Assembly and the National Council of State were the legitimate and appropriate bodies for national discourse.
