Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), who made the call Monday in Gombe, the Gombe State capital, said “Citizens of the country must therefore be law abiding and live in peace with one another, to move the country forward.”
Abdulsalami was in Gombe to offer condolences to the government and people of the state over the death of the former Emir of Gombe, the late Shehu Usman Abubakar, who died in May, and as well congratulate the new Emir, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar.
The retired General, who described peace as the most expensive commodity in the country now, implored all Nigerians to contribute their quota to restore the much-needed peace in the country. He stressed that there can never be any meaningful development without peace.
“The most expensive commodity in Nigeria now is peace. So I appeal to Nigerians to do all we can to sustain the peace and tranquility in this country because without peace there will be no country and nobody can go out and look for his livelihood. All of us have a role to play in maintaining peace in this country,” Abdulsalami said.
Speaking on the preparations for the 2015 general elections, he said elections should not be seen as a do-or-die affair, urging politicians to play the game according to the rules instead of insisting on winning at all costs.
“As we go to the polls in 2015, every Nigeria has a role to play in ensuring that our elections are credible. How do we do that? By ensuring that we vote according to our conscience, according to the candidate we like and to ensure that our votes count,” he said.
He also maintained that democracy is a learning process, saying there is always room for improvement.
According to Abdulsalami, “Nation building is a continuous process. You do your own, you move ahead and your successor builds on what you left. He leaves, another person comes and it continues. So democracy is always a learning process. You can never have a perfect democracy.”
He however pleaded with the rampaging insurgents in the North-east to embrace dialogue in order for peace to return to the area.
“Again, I plead for peace. We should give peace a chance. If you have grievances, there are channels through which you can lay your complaints and seek redress. So I beseech those causing the insurgency in this country to, in the name of whomever or whatever they worship, and respect to please give peace a chance,” Abdulsalami said.
