Count down to 2019: Senator Aminu cautioned Politicians, Journalists over hate speech

A head of 2019 general elections in the Country, Senator Jibril Aminu, has called on Nigerians, particularly Politicians and Journalists to be careful about hate speeches and careless talks.

Senator Aminu told some  journalists in Abuja yesterday that  hate speeches and careless talks are capable of wrecking havoc on the country. He said promoters of hate speeches should be  punished  to serve as deterrent.

Reflecting on Nigerian civil war, Senator Aminu said it is essential Nigerians look back at that avoidable 1966/67 crises in Nigeria that led to the 30 months bloody civil war, and we would discovered that the crises of the time sarted with hate speeches and careless talks by politicians and Journalists. He warned that they could still wreck havoc on the country if not checked.

Senator Jibril Aminu, said  “You can say what you want and damn it or you are saying something which is useful to the country. In this my short intervention, I will tell you,  I have seen this country  quite a bit and I believe more than ever before , now  people  should be careful about what they say’, pointing out that ‘regrettably, people are not.”

He explained that those promoting hate speech and careless talk “ forget something which they shouldn’t forget. You don’t have a crises, riot, a- war  by immediately, deliberate planning and decision making, it could happen by accident and the  more you expose yourself with the possibility of meeting that accident, the more these things are likely to  occur by accident.”

He said “… I honestly think , in this country, everybody has to be careful, we can’t just continue to be talking and saying anything,   somebody is a politician, later somebody is a governor, is a an Editor, they can say anything they like in this country, haba! That is the way I feel, the leaders are not considered to be anything.”

He said “ I have seen a country in a very bad state, particularly, in 1966/67, when we did not know where we are going, when great people like the late Alhaji Babatunde Jose would write an editorial in the Daily Times, saying  “…sorry o. We found that we can’t continue, we have to break up…”

He said everybody should become the legislator, the courts and the police for himself or herself in the control of hate speeches and careless talks, saying, “ If they ask me to get out of Nigeria now, to go, where would I go, you wouldn’t go out, I can’t. 

There is no where you will go and enjoy the kind of freedom without interrogation, like you do in this country, nowhere. I know that because

I happen to have been around. You can’t just say whatever you like anywhere. Some of these big nations, you say one thing against them, they either deny you a visa or fine you or put a stamp on you. “

He observed that in Nigeria “ I regret to say,  people are not being careful, I am happy that the government has targeted hate speech.

It is very important, particularly, if it pursued and those who make hate speeches are made example, it would be very good, ” saying, people say these things because there are no consequences for hate speech and careless talk.

He explained that the actors are “first of all its the politician, he wants to make an impression on some audience. Number two, the Journalists, I apologise to you and I always remind people that the Nigerian crises but I keep telling the people that the crises  of 1966 which led to the Civil War, and even the civil war itself, a lot of things contributed by careless and reckless Journalism.”

Specifically, he said “ I have mentioned their names at different meetings. People like Nelson Auther , Peter Enahoro, I don’t care about them, they didn’t care about Nigeria, so there is no reason why I should respect them. There are many others and even recently, we are getting some of them.” ends

Andrew Orolua, Abuja.