Don’t allow hate speeches, fake news destroy the fabrics of our national cohesion, IBB warns Nigerians

*As Gen Olanrewaju, Amuka, Osoba rally Nigerians to unite against common challenges

*I have worked my talk – Doyin Abiola

*I warned Buhari against neutrality in NASS leadership take-off – Ex-Senator

*I published new book to avoid memory loss – Tola Adeniyi

Former President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, on Thursday, warned Nigerians of diverse backgrounds against hate speeches and fake news.

He particularly advised practitioners of Nigerian Media to emulate the professional culture of commitment and service of some veterans in the professional community in handling and reporting national issues.

The former leader said this at the formal presentation of a new book, In the Belly of Vultures, a collection of essays/articles by Adetola Adeniyi, former Managing Director of Daily Times, held at NECA House, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos on Thursday.

It was, however, an occasion to raise critical questions about the fate of Nigeria as many of the stakeholders expressed serious concern about the current structure of the country generally seen to be counter-productive and near suicidal to tally with the title of the book being launched, “In the Belly of Vultures”.

Represented by former Minister of Communications, Major-General Tajudeen Olanrewaju, General Babangida, as one of suggestions to save the country from being “in the belly of vultures” (dead), said the need to eschew the attitude of hate speeches and fake news among Nigerians had become imperative because, in the business of national rebuilding, such attitude could only be counter-productive.

“General Babangida believes in the unity of Nigeria and that all Nigerians must not lose the ability to discuss national issues calmly and respectfully regardless of party affiliations and other differences.  We must come together as a unified entity to solve our collective problems.  Therefore, we must not allow hate speeches and fake news to destroy the fabrics of our national cohesion,” General Tajudeen Olanrewaju said.

Extolling the virtues of Tola Adeniyi, Olanrewaju said, “His Excellency, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida congratulates Akogun Adetola Adeniyi on this occasion of the launch of his book, “In the Belly of Vultures”, a compendium of articles and comments by him in the course of his active journalism.  He is therefore highly honoured by his friend, Tola’s special invitation making him the Distinguished Special Guest of Honour.

“Akogun Tola Adeniyi is quite an exceptional journalist and a well known public commentator in the media.  It is to the understanding of the General that Tola has a world class reputation, given his long time background, training, experience and exposure in the media network.   There is no doubt that the country, Nigeria, needs a journalist of his stature.

“We have known a lot of great columnists across the length and breadth of this country;  Tola stands to be counted amongst the best of them.  His identification with journalism at the early stage of his life formed the foundation for his fame in the later years.   It is therefore too easy to identify the creativity in Tola making him what he is today.

“For the younger generation of journalists who want to stand out like him, they must have his sense of commitment and service.  In his relationship with Tola, His Excellency has long respected him as a teacher, writer and resourceful journalist from whose attributes upcoming journalists have a lot to learn in handling and reporting national issues.”

Among those present were elder statesmen, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, former Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Alani Akinrinade (Rtd), former Minister of State for Finance, Dr. Jubril Martin-Kuye; former Governors of Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti states, Aremo Segun Osoba, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and Dr. Segun Mimiko, respectively, Pastor Tunde Bakare, who wrote the foreword to the new book, and former Commander, Nigerian Army Ordnance Corps, Major-General Abdullahi Adekunle Martins (Rtd).

Predictably, as a gathering of publishers, media executives and veteran journalists, the book launch also witnessed the presence of media gurus like Mr. Sam Amuka-Pemu, Publisher/Chairman, Vanguard Media Limited, Dr. Doyin Abiola, former Managing Director of defunct National Concord, Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, Co-Chairman, The Nigerian Tribune Newspapers Limited and veterans like Mr. Ajibade Fashina-Thomas, Mr. Ben Lawrence and Mr. Dare Babrinsa.

In his remarks noting current geopolitical squabbles over oil resources, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was represented by Prof. Maxwell Gidado, said: “Our current structure, which is based on oil rents, is vulnerable because oil has probably reached its peak as the chief energy source for the world economy.

“You probably know that the world’s major automobile manufacturers and oil consumers have announced dates between 2025 and 2040 to end the manufacture and sale of fossil fuel-only vehicles.

“This is important for all of us and especially for those in the oil-producing region, where some people sometimes talk about restructuring as though it is designed to punish the North. The good news for the North is that a restructured Nigeria is in the North’s long-term economic interest.

“We should not be fighting for a bigger share of what is a disappearing resource.  It amounts to a fight for a bigger share of the past, and not the future. So both the oil-bearing sections and non-oil bearing sections of this country need to pay more attention to agriculture, fisheries, renewable energy, biotechnology, information technology, Nano-technology, artificial intelligence and so on.”

In his goodwill message, Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Sam Amuka-Pemu, apparently agreeing with Atiku, said restructuring was a key component of the solutions needed to address the challenges facing Nigeria.

He said: “Though I have been part of numerous meetings where it was suggested that without restructuring, Nigeria could not go on.  Pragmatically, how best can we effect it?” He asked, adding that, “some of the solutions proffered by Tola Adeniyi in his book are for us to embark on a National Government. Fine as it was suggested, but how do we achieve it, considering the circumstances facing the country?”

Dr. Doyin Abiola, widow of the deceased business mogul, Bashorun Moshood Kasinmawo Olawale Abiola, on her part, said she had paid the price by walking her talk but that she would now be more comfortable to embark on change through the building of her grandchildren, as according to her, it was the best to effect change in the future of the country.

“Some of us paid the price for walking the talk. And for now, I am happy in the comfort of my grand-children. We are the vultures, and the sole advice I have for all is to pay adequate attention to your children and grand-children. That is where hope lies.’’

A former Deputy Governor in South West and Senator of the Federal Republic, who spoke off-camera, reminded The DEFENDER at the occasion how he earlier warned President Muhammadu Buhari and All Progressives Congress (APC) against the siddon-look style to party politicking.

He said the neutrality and failure by President Buhari to punish who needed to be punished while the jostle for who got what at the leadership of National Assembly at the onset of the current administration pave the way for why the hawks seem to be waxing stronger in rubbishing his administration that was, according to him, the best opportunity that Nigeria would have seized to call it, finally, a huhuru.

“But now we are in a dilemma.  We do not know what to do; whether to go against Buhari or remain with him.  But all I can say now is that the President should be please wake up.  Punish where necessary and reconcile where necessary because, if you do not wake up and take action as comprehensively required, and these people get back to power, they will rubbish all the successes he has achieved.

“Yes, he is talking about rule of law but where the rule of law here?  What they planned was to return David Mark but when that failed, President Buhari should have just acted and allowed the NASS people to appoint their leaders.  It was not as if he had hands in the crisis but he became problem because while the squabbles were on, he chose to be neutral watching the drama and the consequence of it is what we are faced with today to the extent that the corruption people that were sacked from government now have mouths to talk.  He has the chance now to correct and act fast and make amends,” the former Senator said.

While explaining reasons for publishing the book, Adeniyi said journalistic materials: articles and stories were historical materials written in a hurry which could be lost. “But once we have it in a book form, everyone, including unborn generations, can always make reference to it. In over 50 years of writing, I already wrote over 20,000 articles.”