Former General Officer Commanding, GOC, 3rd Armoured Division, Jos, and former Minister of Communications, Major General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, rtd, has called on Nigerians not to use the current situation to divide the military, just as he called for the prosecution of those responsible for the shooting of innocent youths at Lekki – Lagos.
In a release he issued Friday and titled: “We Must Withdraw From The Brink,” Olanrewaju said the country must not be reduced to ethnic balkanisation.
He said, “Surely, we can’t continue like this. Ethnic profiling is wrong. Our boys in uniform are the most patriotic Nigerians anywhere. I am proud to have put on the Nigerian Army uniform.
“We must never divide the military. They need our support. They need our guiding applause.”
Olanrewaju, who is also the Trustee of Omo Eko Pataki Forum, said, “As a native Lagosian, as an
Isale Eko indigene and as an Awori offspring, I am absolutely affirmed that Lagos and Nigeria should not dissolve into anarchy.
“Yes, we need fairness, equity and justice. But I will never support destruction and looting. We must talk. We must embrace the peace of the round table. Our youths on the streets should stand down and allow peace to reign. Our leadership should also embrace everyone, regardless of ethnic origin and demonstrate empathy in the face of these terrible misfortunes.
“The tools of power should remember the words of George Santayana that those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it.”
While calling for the prosecution of those responsible for the destruction of youths through force at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, Major-General Olanrewaju said, “We must never forget what happened to the peaceful protesters in Lekki. The excessive force used to destroy these young and vibrant souls was wrong. Those who are responsible must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We must withdraw from the brink.”
