I remain committed to Nigeria’s unity, says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday reassured Nigerians that the unity of the country would remain his objective and that of his government.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke while receiving a delegation of the Tijjaniya Movement, led by Sheikh Muhammadu Inyass, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“I will continue to do everything within my powers to unite Nigeria,” the President was quoted as saying.

He also lauded the group for complementing government efforts in bringing socio-economic development and stability to the country by encouraging discipline, unity and spirituality among its members.Buhari commended the group for the peaceful conduct of its annual convention and urged its members to promote peace, unity and inter-religious harmony in Nigeria.

Reiterating his remarks on Thursday at the palace of the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Adamu, after he was presented with the Holy Quran, the President said the gift was the biggest anyone could receive and that it was a reminder to seek and uphold justice in the service of the nation.

In his remarks, the leader of the group, Inyass, told the President that members of the group would continue to support and appreciate his “noble agenda for the benefit of all Nigerians,” because they believed that elected officials must be “accountable, incorruptible and God-fearing.”

“It has never been easy. Even our Holy Prophet (SWA) was never totally accepted in his lifetime. It was only after he had long gone that people saw the wisdom in his preaching and sacrifices. We, therefore, urge you not to relent in your efforts.

…summons Umahi, Ayade over boundary crisis

President Muhammadu Buhari has summoned Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, and his Cross River State counterpart, Ben Ayade, to a meeting in May 2018, over the lingering boundary crisis between the two states that has resulted in the loss of lives and destruction of property worth millions of naira.

Umahi said this at the Executive Council Chambers, Government House, Abakaliki on Friday during a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the state government to deliberate on the disputed land between Enyigba in Abakaliki Local Government Area and Echialike in Ikwo Local Government Area of the state.

Umahi said that during his meeting with Buhari last week in Abuja, he had told the President that Ebonyi would go to war with Cross River State if the Federal Government failed to summon the governors of the two states to a reconciliatory meeting to resolve the lingering boundary dispute.

“During my interaction with Mr. President a few days ago, I told him that Ebonyi would go to war with Cross River State if the two governors were not called together by the Federal Government to resolve the crisis,” Umahi said.

The governor expressed dismay at the lingering boundary dispute between the people of Azuoffia Edda community in Ikwo Local Government Area and their Adadama neighbours in Cross River State, despite measures put in place by the state government to resolve the dispute.

On the internal crisis between the people of Ikwo community and Izzi clan in the state, Umahi blamed the elite and stakeholders of both communities for escalating the crisis.