YAKASSAI, OKWU KNOCK GADDAFI

Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, has continued to receive a bashing over his suggestion that Nigeria should be split into two. Reacting to Gaddafi's suggestion yesterday, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, Second Republic Presidential Adviser to ex-President Shehu Shagari, said the Libyan leader's remarks were disappointing and portrayed his lack of knowledge of the demography of Nigeria.

Yakassai said that Gaddafi's suggestion was an indication that he does not know that Plateau State, for example, has both Christian and Muslim population.

He said: 'Dividing Nigeria, along religious lines will be a recipe for permanent inter-religious wars,' adding: 'It should be appreciated that Plateau is one state out of the 36 states and the rest of the states are living in peace.'

The former presidential aide advised African leaders to know more about their fellow African countries, so that they can comment knowledgably on issues affecting them.

Also speaking on Gaddafi's comments, presidential candidate of the Citizens Popular Party (CPP), Chief Max Okwu, said the suggestion of the Libyan leader should be a pointer that there is really an urgent need for Nigerians to discuss the national question.

Okwu explained that all the component units of the country must come together to talk. He pointed out that the arrangement put in place in the 1950s by the nation's founding fathers have been undermined by successive years of military rule.

He said: 'All the ethnic units must sit down and agree on how to live together. The agreement handed out by our founding fathers in the 50s and 60s have been bastardized by prolong military rule. We are no longer a true federation… Now, that we have had 10 years of unbroken democracy is the best time to sit and talk.

'Nigeria must address the national question. The time is now. Look at what is happening with the people in Jos. Its crises are now intractable. I don't want to be a doomsday prophet, but obviously, I think it is only a part of the human nature that the other side may, one day, do a reprisal.'

He, however, said the Libyan leader lacked the moral credentials to advise Nigeria, stating: 'We don't need his patronage. Gaddafi is a bad example of a leader in modern times. If you look at how he has long privatized Libya, in the last 40 years, as well as his romance with terrorism you know what I mean.'