Former Defence Minister General Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma (retd) has criticised Nigeria’s mounting security concerns, claiming that the country has become a war front and a disgrace to the world.
According to him, Nigeria has become a laughing stock throughout the world, and citizens must stop killing themselves and make the roads and homes safer so that progress may grow.
“As we are today as Nigeria we are a disgrace to the whole world. The country is a war front; our people are against our own people. We must put our own house in order because right now we are a laughing stock to the whole world,” the former minister told a gathering at the Nwonyo International Fishing and Cultural Festival in the Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba State on Friday.
“We must stop killing each other. We must make our roads safe, our homes safe, must stop kidnappings. There is no sane foreign person that will come to our country to celebrate with us if we continue to kill each other and make our roads unsafe for people to move around.”
After a 14-year hiatus, the Nwonyo International Fishing and Cultural Festival was reactivated today, to the pleasure of Tarabans. The opening ceremony was well attended by people from all walks of life.
The event was chaired by our own Gen. TY Danjuma (Rtd.) and my brother,… pic.twitter.com/Ik4LAtC0CA
— Agbu Kefas ⏩ (@GovAgbuKefas) April 19, 2024
The former minister was the chairman of the occasion and said that the festival not only showcases the state’s traditional values but also serves as a platform for fostering unity and understanding among diverse communities.
Other dignitaries who graced the event were the Adamawa State governor Ahmadu Fintiri; the deputy governor of Benue State Samuel Ode; a former governor of Taraba State Jolly Nyame, members of the National Assembly, and traditional rulers among others.
The International Nwonyo Fishing and Cultural Festival is an avenue to showcase the over 80 ethnic groups resident in Taraba and it was held 14 years after it last took place in 2012 during the previous administration of late Danbaba Suntai.