Nigeria Deserves Peace, Unity And Progress Not Bloodshed And Sacrifices - Obasanjo

With the numerous calls for a break up in Nigeria from various groups across the nation, former Nigeria President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has come out to say that all Nigeria needs now is peace and not bloodshed.

Obasanjo said this in Abuja during a public presentation of a book titled “The First Regular Combatant: Brigadier General Zakariya Maimalari” by Haruna Yahaya. He went further to state how good Brigadier General Zakariya Maimalari was, insisting that Nigeria needs such kind of Men.

He also said that well-trained officers in the Army that would have helped ease

the issues in Nigeria have through political influence in the Army lost their lives and also stressed on the coup of 1996 that led to Maimalari’s death.

The former President also stressed on how the late soldier was concerned about the welfare of hi men during the Congo peacekeeping mission calling the late Brigadier General a soldier’s soldier.

Obasanjo said; “Lesson to be learnt from Maimalari’s death- this country had had trained officers who would have been of benefit to this country, but cut out at the prime of their lives, and our lesson should be that this should never happen again.

To stop the sort of thing that took the life of Maimalari prematurely, all those assisted by political office holders should be eased out of Army so we can have an Army that will be completely free from political aberration.

And since 1999, I think we have got it right, let us hope that we have got it right and learn the right lessons. Nigeria has had enough bloodshed, sacrifices and Nigeria deserves peace, unity and progress."