Tinubu on Terrorism, “We Are Hated For Choosing Tolerance Over Tyranny”

President Bola Tinubu has said terrorists despise Nigeria because the country embraces tolerance instead of tyranny, stressing that history has shown that violence never ends where it begins.

President Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the ongoing 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, delivered Nigeria’s national statement.

Shettima, while speaking on global security challenges, expressed that the terrorist groups thrive on hate and division, reiterating that Nigeria remains committed to peace.

“We are despised by terrorists because we choose tolerance over tyranny.

“Their ambition is to divide us and to poison our humanity with a toxic rhetoric of hate,” Shettima said.

He explained that Nigeria’s stand against violence was not only because of international law but also due to its own experience with insurgency.

“Our difference is the distance between shadow and light, between despair and hope, between the ruin of anarchy and the promise of order.

“We do not only fight wars, we feed and shelter the innocent victims of war,” the statement read in part.

On the Israel-Palestine crisis, Nigeria reiterated its backing for a two-state solution, describing it as the most dignified route to lasting peace. Shettima stressed that Palestinians must not be treated as collateral damage but as people entitled to freedom and dignity like everyone else.

“We say without stuttering and without doubt, that a two-state solution remains the most dignified path to lasting peace for the people of Palestine.

“The people of Palestine are not collateral damage in a civilisation searching for order.

“They are human beings, equal in worth, entitled to the same freedoms and dignities that the rest of us take for granted,” Shettima declared.

Turning to domestic reforms, the Vice President stressed that peace required tough economic choices.

“The price of peace is eternal vigilance. We in Nigeria are already familiar with such difficult choices: infrastructure renewal or defence platforms? Schools or tanks?

“Our view is that the path to sustainable peace lies in growth and prosperity,” he said.

The Vice President also highlighted Nigeria’s domestic reforms, saying peace requires difficult economic choices. He explained that the government has taken steps to restructure the economy by removing distortions such as subsidies and currency controls.

Tinubu further urged the United Nations to rethink resource allocation, especially in combating climate change, which he described as a security challenge with far-reaching implications for migration and global stability.

TVC previously reported that the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima has delivered Nigeria’s National Statement At the 80th edition of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States

Senator Shettima who presented the Statement on behalf of President Tinubu, told world leaders that Nigeria’s case for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council is borne out of her several contributions to peacekeeping efforts over the years.

Here are the highlights of the national statement as presented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Full text: Shettima Delivers Nigeria’s National Statement At UNGA 80