Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo has warned Nigerians to cease and desist from using social media to spread hate speech or face dire consequences.
He said it is the biggest mistake that can be done by any society, “we must control and insist that people don’t make utterances that are capable of disrupting the peace.”
He spoke on Wednesday at a national security seminar on ‘Unity in Diversity’ organized by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Abuja.
He said every major crisis in history was presided by hate speeches, noting that genocides have been caused by hate speeches.
He said, “We must do something about it,” adding that the media especially the social media has often been used to spread hatred.
He also decried many false narratives used by agitators for breaking up the country either along regional lines or ethnic grounds.
He said one of the major false narrative is the argument that countries formed the way ours was formed are bound to fail.
He said this is false because many countries were not formed by general consensus of the inhabitants but by accident of history, many were put together and some were forced together.
He pointed out that another false narrative is that one particular ethnic group or religious group is more responsible for Nigeria’s problems than the other or superior than the other.
This he said is false because when issues of corruption are examined, it would be found that all ethnic groups are involved the in pilfering of public funds.
He noted that where Nigeria has won as a society is where we do not pay attention to ethnicity and religion, like is the case with the football team.
He said another false narrative is that we are better off when a particular ethnic group is in charge, adding that those who make charges of marginalization are usually serving their personal interest.
He also decried that corruption is possibly the worst evil that has befallen the country, noting that poverty is the recipe for social crisis.
He said, “There is no other single reason why this country is set back, it is what accounts for where we are today economically.”
Earlier, a former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon said no country survives multiple civil wars, urging that people should love their country, right or wrong, but demand a change for good and better.
He said, “There is strength in our diversity, our diversity should be accommodated in our unity,” urging that, “do not entertain anything that would bring about the suffering of innocent people because of unnecessary demands.”
In a welcome address, the Director General (DG) of the Department of State Services, Lawal Daura said the security services would deploy the full amalgam of its assets to ensure security and peace in the country.
He warned all groups or individuals who threaten national unity to think again, adding that, the unity of the nation is a sacred trust to the security service.