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Labour leader flays Danjuma’s call for self-defence

By Abdulganiu Alabi, Kaduna
30 March 2018   |   3:33 am
A Labour leader, Issa Aremu, has condemned Gen. T.Y. Danjuma’s call that Nigerians should arm themselves in self-defence.He described the comment as un-statesmanlike, uncalled for and unconstitutional.

Issa Aremu

A Labour leader, Issa Aremu, has condemned Gen. T.Y. Danjuma’s call that Nigerians should arm themselves in self-defence.He described the comment as un-statesmanlike, uncalled for and unconstitutional.

Aremu, who is the General Secretary of the National Union of Textile Garments and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to begin bipartisan engagement to chart a way forward.He said the consultation was necessary across board, irrespective of political, religious or ethnic affiliations on corruption, security and economy.He spoke yesterday in Kaduna at the 8th day Fidau prayer for the late Division 4 Chairman of the Ansar-Ud-Deen Society of Nigeria, Kaduna state branch, Isiaq Funsho Babatunde.

Aremu, who is the Vice President of Industrial Global, said hate speech is dangerous and could cause chaos in the country. He urged emulation of the late Babatunde, who lived on the dignity of his labour and used his wealth to unify the people. He said the late leader, during his lifetime, was concerned about the unity of the country and worked towards peaceful coexistence among its people.

“I was shocked to read that Danjuma, a former Chief of Army Staff and Defence Minister could make such call at a university convocation.“Indeed, he reportedly said that Somalia would be a child’s play. Of course, we all know that Somalia is not a child’s play, but a forgotten killing field of suicide bombers.”He added that if Babatunde were to be alive, he would have differed with Danjuma, and prays for God to save the country from another Somalia in Africa.

Aremu added that Danjuma should not have breached his oath of office, irrespective of the provocation, adding that such hate speech could lead Nigeria to a Somalia. The labour leader stressed that rather than wishing for a Somalia, we should help Somalia, South Sudan and DR Congo out of their situation.He commended President Paul Kagame who took Rwanda away from genocide to economic boom. He urged Nigeria leaders to replace hate speech with love speech.

Aremu urged Buhari to call for a non-partisan pan Nigerian summit on the critical issues of security and corruption.The recent politicisation of the kidnapping of poor schoolgirls shows that terror gangs could defeat us, if we work separately. “May Allah return Somalia, South Sudan and other war-torn zones as Syria, Iraq, DRC and Afghanistan to peace and love,” Aremu added.

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