Bullet, Bombs Know Neither Ethnicity Nor Religion — Shettima

The  Vice President Kashim Shettima  has warned that if bombs are dropped in Nigeria, they would affect those in the vicinity, no matter their religion.

The vice president, represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia, spoke at a high-level stakeholders’ engagement on regional development organised by the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA) in Abuja.

According to him, a bullet or bomb has neither ethnicity nor religion, hence the need to collectively address the complex security challenges bedevilling the nation.

He said Nigeria cannot claim progress unless each part of the country advances simultaneously.

Shettima further stated that the current administration inherited a security challenge that compelled it to think both critically and collectively, not only about reversing the havoc it had wrought, but also about sustaining peace and stability thereafter.

He said, “Every person or organisation in the business of governance must play a role in this grand mission of national restoration.

A bullet or a bomb has neither ethnicity nor religion. When the enemies of our collective peace fire it, it does not discriminate. It kills the farmer and the trader alike, and it destroys the very fabric of our multifaceted, multi-religious, and multi-ethnic society in a devastating and retrogressive manner.

Our challenge, therefore, is not only to fight the forces behind these conflicts, but also to dismantle the sentiments that are weaponised to divide us and weaken our resolve to fight back as one nation.

Beyond ideas and agendas, we must pay close attention to the power of messaging. Our messaging must be rooted in empathy and understanding.”

He emphasised the need to build and strengthen institutions, as well as correct identified imbalances.