You Can't Break Up Nigeria, Buhari Replies War Mongers

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), retired General Muhammadu Buhari yesterday lashed out at those who are threatening to divide the country, saying Nigeria is indivisible.

Addressing a town hall meeting of Kano Business Community at the Kano Government House, he said it is in the best interest of all parts of the country to stay, unite and work hard to address the challenges bedeviling the country rather than breaking up.

"Those dreaming to break up this country are jokers. I’m wondering how they can achieve it. Divide and go where? The best thing for all of us is to stay together in this country and address our challenges for the good of all", he said.

Buhari who recalled how he built the country’s refineries said the only way to entrench good leadership in the country was to appoint qualified people at appropriate offices and not based on sentiments.

"For nine years General Yakubu Gowon was the Head of State, all the Service Chiefs and the Chief of Staff Defence Headquarters were Christians and up till today I haven't heard any responsible Muslim complaining about that. During my regime as military Head of State I’m a Muslim and late Idiagbon was Muslim and also from the North and for the 20 months we were opportuned nobody brought religious thing around", he explained.

"This religion thing is so irritating. If you are working, work with competent people. For us that have been in the military, about 80 percent of military personnel were Christians and I rose from a second lieutenant to a General. There was no command and staff appointment that I did not go through and all those who worked under me and above me were Christians, yet I was able to make it. So people are hiding their incompetence under religion", he said.

Lamenting the inability of the present government to secure the release of the abducted Chibok girls, he said the government and the security agencies kept dishing out lies to Nigerians on the situation.

In his address former president of the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Bashir Borodo said Nigeria manufacturing sector required holistic and sincere policies to take its rightful position in the scheme of things in the country.