Former President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed worry over the reports of a hate song against the Igbo people of the South East in some states of the north, saying that it must not be ignored.

Jonathan also expressed shock and disbelief over the Catholic Church shooting in Ozubulu, Anambra State, that claimed the lives of many innocent worshipers on Sunday.

Recall that a certain hate song has been circulating in the north against the Igbo lately. Curiously, it is coming on the heels of a quit notice handed down to Ndigbo by a coalition of northern youth groups to vacate the region on or before October 1, this year. The imbroglio generated by the ultimatum is yet to simmer down despite the litany of condemnations that trailed it.

Reacting to the ill developments on his Facebook page on Tuesday, the former President, largely known for his sermons of peace and unity, reminded the purveyors of the hate message that a similar song in Rwanda prompted a genocide whose pangs were still being felt to date. Like Rwanda, Nigeria had also passed through a 30-month civil war that saw over one million people dead and about the same figure languished in penury between 1967 and 1970. While suing for peace, Jonathan who notably reinforced love for willingly relinquishing power to President Muhammadu Buhari after 2015 Presidential election urged the security apparatus of the country to halt the spread of the hate song. He also condoled with the survivors and the families of the victims of the Anambra massacre and prayed for the soul of the departed.

He wrote: “I have taken my time before commenting on the killings at the St. Philips Catholic Church, Ozubulu, in Anambra State, in order that I could be accurately briefed on the truth of the matter.

“However, I condemn the killings and express my shock at such an event which is outside our culture of respect and reverence for religious places of worship and love for our fellow man.

“I condole with the survivors and the families of the victims and pray for the departed. In order to ensure that such occurrences never reoccur, we must rededicate ourselves to our principles of being our brother’s keeper and that without delay.

“I am also disturbed about the news of a song celebrating hatred against a particular Nigerian ethnic group. Given that a similar song is what ignited the Rwandan Genocide, as a nation, we must not take these reports lightly. I urge the security services to do their utmost to nip this wickedness in the bud.

“As I have said previously, we must understand and accept that all Nigerians are brothers and sisters born from the womb of one Nigeria. May this be uppermost in our minds as we pray that God may bless Nigeria. GEJ.”

•Text courtesy of Vanguard.

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