We must resist, reject ethno-centrism and religious intolerance – Buhari

ABUJA-President Mohammadu Buhari has said that
Nigerians must eschew ethnic-centrism and religious
intolerance to move the country forward.
The president gave the charge in a speech delivered by
his vice, Professor Yemi Osinabjo over the weekend at
the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, in
Kaduna state.
He said the greatest danger facing Nigeria's democracy
was the unnecessary recourse Nigerians were giving to
religion and ethnicity, emphasizing that the elites were
needed to evolve a new way of thinking.
He said "One of the most profound dangers to our
democracy and freedom lies in the divisive application of
our ethnic and religious diversities. As defenders of the
nation's territorial integrity, we must resist and reject
ethno-centricism and religious intolerance. These evils
threaten our very existence as a sovereign and
indivisible nation.
"To build the new Nigeria, we need a new tribe. A tribe
of men and women of all faiths, tribe and ethnicities,
diverse, but firmly committed to a country run on high
values of integrity hard work, justice and love of
country.
"Our nation at this time needs an elite consisting of
professionals from the military, businessmen, politicians,
religious leaders and all others who believe that a new
Nigeria is possible. Nigeria needs men and women from
the Armed Forces who are prepared to make the
sacrifices and self-constraints that are crucial to strong
society.
"This nation needs an elite prepared to stick together,
fight corruption and other national ills side by side. An
elite who insists on justice even where our friends are at
the receiving end".
Addressing the audience made up of top military chiefs
including service chiefs and new graduates of the
College's Senior Course 38, the president told the
military, "this is why the responsibility for fighting
against all forms of ethnic and religious prejudices is
yours."
According to him, "the Armed Forces are probably the
most visible symbols of national unity and cohesion," in
the country.
Addressing graduands who were drawn from the army,
airforce, navy, paramilitary and civilians from the
Ministry of Defence, the President also observed that
fighting Boko Haram or ISIS was a profound new
experience not only for our military, but all over the
world, stressing that it is "like what we have never seen
before."
"Our society is more complex and our world is more
difficult than ever before. The nature of warfare is also
vastly different, consequently the officer of today cannot
just be soldier, in any event, being in the military today
requires more than just carrying weapons. The officer
must be a public intellectual of sorts, a thinker, versatile,
dynamic and capable of introspection", he said.
He told the gathering of personalities which included
the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the
Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali amongst senior
military officers, that contemporary military warfare
especially the influence of technology like drones has
thrown up a huge challenge for the military who must
develop the right strategies to deal with what he
described as "this future before us".
The President also commended the management of the
college for pursuing appropriate structured courses for
the participants to prepare them for command and staff
responsibilities in full scale warfare, noting that the
graduation ceremony "is a testimony of your hard work
and determination to contribute towards the re-
professionalization of the Nigerian Armed Forces".
Amongst the graduates were 191 Nigerian officers from
the military, paramilitary and civilians, 8 foreign military
officers from the African continen and a South Korean
officer.