Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state, yesterday said Nigeria has never felt so divided on the ethnic line since the civil war.
The governor who spoke through his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri, expressed sadness that ethnic profiling and religious intolerance have taken a centre stage in the country’s affairs.
According to the statement, Wike stated this during the visit of Aminu Bayero, the Emir of Kano, to Rivers state on Friday.
Wike, said he has provided a conducive environment for all ethnic groups in his state, urging traditional rulers to encourage peaceful coexistence in their communities.
“It is important that where we are now, everybody, particularly traditional rulers, should know that they have major role to play in ensuring that peace reigns in this country,” Wike was quoted to have said.
“This is the first time in Nigeria when we have so much ethnic divide, so much religious divide. It has never happened like this before. After the civil war, people had seen Nigeria as one country. We have seen ourselves as the same people, but what we are facing today is a different thing.
“We are not even talking about the issue of insecurity, but the issue of ethnicity and religion, which have taken centre stage in our life, which is not supposed to be.”
