Elder statesman Edwin Clark has spoken against secession, calling on Nigerians to desist from hate speeches, ethnic and regional irredentism capable of igniting another civil war.
The Ijaw leader, who stated this in an interview with Sunday Sun, warned Nigerians not to engage in actions that exhibit intolerance.
Congratulating Nigerians for witnessing the 57th Independence Anniversary, the statesman called on them to love one another.
He said: "At 57, the crisis in the country should be stopped. We don't want secession; we don’t want another civil war. This young man, Nnamdi Kanu who is calling for Biafra state was only two months old when the war ended.
"Today, he does not respect the elders who fought the war. That the Igbo are marginalised by the President Muhammadu Buhari's administration is a temporary issue and not enough to call for secession.
"Let us love one another. The quit notice by the Arewa Youth Council is criminal and treasonable and should be condemned. Everybody is free to live anywhere he wants to.
"We can't afford it because it is distractive. At a time when we seek to reposition our country for stronger national cohesion and economic resurgence, to play our destined role in Africa and the world, we do not need this distraction.
Governments across the country need a peaceful political and security atmosphere that allows them to concentrate on delivering the promised dividends of democracy to the people.”