“If there is a war today, none of us will escape”

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has sent a clear warning to those beating drums of war through hate speeches,divisive and inflammatory statements to desist in the interest of the nation’s unity and safety.

Speaking at the “Lai Mohammed 10th Annual Ramadan Lecture” held in his hometown, Oro, Kwara, on Saturday, Lai Mohammed expressed his fears on the hate speeches.
Mohammed urged Nigerians to disregard those who were engaged in hate speeches as well as their purveyors.
He said:

“In the last couple of months, we have witnessed the increase inflammatory and hate speeches. Hate speeches have been responsible for wars. Rwandan genocide where more than 800,000 people were killed was started by hate speeches. Like people say, wars are not really started by bullets, they are started by words of mouth. Nigeria is too big and God has a purpose for making us one and we shall remain united. There will be differences, but like the Yoruba says, “Ori bibe ko ni ogun ori fifo” (beheading is not antidote to headache). We have been living together peacefully and we will continue to live together, because we have a lot to gain by being united. If there is war today, none of us will escape whether you are young or old whether you are Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa.”

The Minister shared a story from the acting president Yemi Osinbajo on the dire consequences of the Rwanda war on two judges.
In his narration, the minister said,

“The Acting President told us a story that in 1982, he was a young lecturer in the University of Lagos and two Supreme Court Judges came visiting from Rwanda. He said ten years later, in 1992, he went to work in Rwanda and on the street with a bowl in hand looking for food were the Supreme Court Judges that he saw in Lagos. This shows that when there is war, the young, the old, the rich and the poor, we are all victims.”

Mohammed urged Nigerians to work together, understand their differences and never pray for war, showing his appreciation to the lecture attendees.
He said the Ramadan lecture, the tenth in the series, was unique because it’s attendance cuts across religions and denomination, stating that the presence of Christian faithfuls at the event was an indication that Nigerians, irrespective of their religious leaning, could work and live together.