Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo is currently having peaceful talks with the leaders of Tigray region and Ethiopian government to restore normalcy in the East African country.
This was revealed Saturday by a former Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof Usman Yusuf, while advocating for dialogues between bandits and the Nigerian government.
Yusuf maintained during a programme, City Talks with Reuben Abati, that any government that shies away from having reconciliatory talks with aggrieved groups of its society is irresponsible.
“And currently President Obasanjo is dialoguing with Tigrayans and Ethiopians. And he (also) dialogued in South Sudan.
“Dialogue is the most sustaining way of securing the society. That’s not to say that anyone is tolerating banditry or giving excuses for these bandits,” Yusuf said.
The Tigray region of the Ethiopia shares borders with Eritrea and has been known for unrest for decades, during the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
There have been conflicts in the region over the years. About 60,000 people have fled as refugees while nearly many others have been displaced in the region.
Relating the Ethiopian story with Nigeria, Yusuf said Africa’s most populous black nation is in trouble if its government and leaders fail to dialogue with warring groups.
“This country is on fire and I don’t see the fear or urgency of now. All government at all levels should address this issue. It is not military.
For a governor or government saying we are not dialoguing is outright irresponsibility. Dialogue is a very essential tool in any conflict,” Yusuf said
