President Muhammadu Buhari has tasked Nigerians on unity and togetherness.
He made the call in his address at the Bola Tinubu’s 69th birthday virtual 12th colloquium in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Recalling his participation in the 1967-1970 civil war, the President noted that the unity of the nation must be sustained.
He said, “Despite occasional inter-ethnic tensions in our national history, it seems to me that we have all agreed on one point that, notwithstanding our diversity of ethnicity, culture, language and religion, Nigerians are better together; even stronger together.’’
The President said his experience of working in all parts of the country showed possibilities of a strong, united nation.
“I can also relate personally to the ideals of one Nigeria. As a military officer, I have served with great comrades from all the nooks and crannies of our country. I have seen over and over again that their goodness or failings did not depend on ethnicity or religion.
“In the course of my career, I have also been opportune to serve in all parts of Nigeria, seeing first-hand the enticing possibilities of a strong, united nation.
“More importantly, I fought for the unity of Nigeria during the civil war of 1967 to 1970, and I saw first-hand the unspeakable horrors of war, not just on fellow soldiers on both sides, but on the civilians: innocent children, women and elderly citizens that they left behind. As we all know, the peace-building, recovery and reconstruction that followed could also not have succeeded under an atmosphere of inter-ethnic animosity.
“We must count our blessings in Nigeria and see in them the crucial factors of peace and unity,’’ the President added.
The President and the Chairman of the occasion to mark the 69th birthday of the former two-term Governor of Lagos State, commended the celebrant for always being an advocate of unity and cohesion in Nigeria.
“This has been a constant factor in his outstanding political career, from the time he served in the short-lived senate of the Third Republic to his involvement in the struggle for the actualisation of the June 12 mandate of the late Chief MKO Abiola, to his much-acclaimed period of service as Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007.
“The ranks of Asiwaju’s political collaborators, whether as party members, comrades in the struggle, members of his cabinet, or his advisers, assistants and political associates, have always reflected a pan-Nigeria attitude. I believe all of us here can also confirm that the same outlook of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other like-minded Nigerians eventually made possible the coalition of four political parties into what we now see as our great party, the All-Progressives Congress,’’ he said.
In the same vein, the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo also hailed Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a true leader who enables a contest of ideas.
According to Prof. Osinbajo, “Tinubu is not afraid to have his ideas interrogated and questioned, this makes him an exceptional leader.”
Osinbajo noted that the colloquium which started in 2009, has been instrumental to the development of the country.
Also speaking at the event, the Governor of Kano State, Umar Ganduje called on all politicians and Nigerians at large to ensure national integration.
Ganduje stated that national integration was low at the moment and called for unity to discard all variables responsible for that.
“As far as national integration is concerned, all Nigerians must be born again,” he added.
The event had “Our Common Bond, Our Common Wealth” as its theme.
PIAK
