Leaders Urge Peace, Unity as Nigeria Turns 54
Written by Azimazi Momoh Jimoh and Terhemba Daka, Abuja
Nigerian Guardian
AS Nigeria marks its 54th independence anniversary today, leaders have stressed the need for the citizens to promote peace and unity.
In a goodwill message, Senate President David Mark said that the indivisibility of Nigeria was not negotiable because there was no better place than the country.
Mark recalled Nigeria’s chequered political history since 1960, during which the country went through a 30-month fratricidal civil war, various ethno-religious conflicts and assured that the crises were surmountable.
He dismissed as untrue the insinuation in some quarters that Nigeria has not made progress, since independence, saying “let us cast our minds back a little and see the number of road networks, schools, universities, health institutions, telecommunications and a host of others.”
Mark’s statement which was signed by his special adviser on media, Mr. Kola Ologbodion, and released to journalists in Abuja yesterday reads: “We may not have been where we want to be but we have made appreciable progress and we can do more. All we need to do is to strengthen our unity as one people with one mission and purpose. The stable democracy has offered us opportunity to harness our abundant resources for good.
“Nigeria has passed through many challenges in the past and we came out of them. The security challenges; this Boko Haram can be defeated if we unit to fight them.
“I believe the Boko Haram, terrorism or insurgency is alien to us as a people. We have the capacity to defeat them and confine them to the dustbin of history.”
He promised that genuine complaints and agitations among Nigerians arising from the structure of the polity could be addressed by government but was quick to point out that “we cannot correct perceived imbalances by taking up arms against our brothers, sisters and nation.
“We must therefore continue to shun individuals or groups that encourage, preach and practise division among our people. We must shun every harbinger of hate and bound together as a people of common interest and destiny.
“As legislators we will continue to do our part to wit; provide the needed legislative framework for the Executive Arm of government to continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people.
“Let me use this occasion to remind our fellow country men and women that as the 2015 elections approach, we must not lose sight of the fact that election should not be seen as war. We must play the game according to the rules.”
To politicians, Mark gave this advice: “As stakeholders, we must therefore restrain ourselves from inflammatory and treasonable statements or actions. Our collective or individual ambitions are subordinate to the national interest. We must therefore, always consider the primacy of our national interest. After all, it is a trite fact that for us to even actualise our various political visions, our nation must first exist.”
On his part, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, urged Nigerians to work tirelessly to promote the tenets of democracy, good governance and responsible citizenry.
In a statement in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, Tambuwal appealed to the political elite to moderate their utterances and be mindful of their responsibility to the country.
He said with elections scheduled for early 2015, all leaders must avoid acts that could heat up the polity. According to him, what is of paramount importance now is for political office holders to approach elections with the intentions to play by the rules.
The speaker reiterated his earlier calls that the people must isolate and expose all obstacles that hamper the attainment of peace, development, and progress of the nation.
While congratulating Nigerians on the country’s 54th independence anniversary, Tambuwal restated the commitment of the House of Representatives to uphold the ideals of a united Nigeria which he said would take its rightful place in the comity of nations.
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| Federal Republic of Nigeria House of Representatives. |
Nigerian Guardian
AS Nigeria marks its 54th independence anniversary today, leaders have stressed the need for the citizens to promote peace and unity.
In a goodwill message, Senate President David Mark said that the indivisibility of Nigeria was not negotiable because there was no better place than the country.
Mark recalled Nigeria’s chequered political history since 1960, during which the country went through a 30-month fratricidal civil war, various ethno-religious conflicts and assured that the crises were surmountable.
He dismissed as untrue the insinuation in some quarters that Nigeria has not made progress, since independence, saying “let us cast our minds back a little and see the number of road networks, schools, universities, health institutions, telecommunications and a host of others.”
Mark’s statement which was signed by his special adviser on media, Mr. Kola Ologbodion, and released to journalists in Abuja yesterday reads: “We may not have been where we want to be but we have made appreciable progress and we can do more. All we need to do is to strengthen our unity as one people with one mission and purpose. The stable democracy has offered us opportunity to harness our abundant resources for good.
“Nigeria has passed through many challenges in the past and we came out of them. The security challenges; this Boko Haram can be defeated if we unit to fight them.
“I believe the Boko Haram, terrorism or insurgency is alien to us as a people. We have the capacity to defeat them and confine them to the dustbin of history.”
He promised that genuine complaints and agitations among Nigerians arising from the structure of the polity could be addressed by government but was quick to point out that “we cannot correct perceived imbalances by taking up arms against our brothers, sisters and nation.
“We must therefore continue to shun individuals or groups that encourage, preach and practise division among our people. We must shun every harbinger of hate and bound together as a people of common interest and destiny.
“As legislators we will continue to do our part to wit; provide the needed legislative framework for the Executive Arm of government to continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people.
“Let me use this occasion to remind our fellow country men and women that as the 2015 elections approach, we must not lose sight of the fact that election should not be seen as war. We must play the game according to the rules.”
To politicians, Mark gave this advice: “As stakeholders, we must therefore restrain ourselves from inflammatory and treasonable statements or actions. Our collective or individual ambitions are subordinate to the national interest. We must therefore, always consider the primacy of our national interest. After all, it is a trite fact that for us to even actualise our various political visions, our nation must first exist.”
On his part, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, urged Nigerians to work tirelessly to promote the tenets of democracy, good governance and responsible citizenry.
In a statement in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, Tambuwal appealed to the political elite to moderate their utterances and be mindful of their responsibility to the country.
He said with elections scheduled for early 2015, all leaders must avoid acts that could heat up the polity. According to him, what is of paramount importance now is for political office holders to approach elections with the intentions to play by the rules.
The speaker reiterated his earlier calls that the people must isolate and expose all obstacles that hamper the attainment of peace, development, and progress of the nation.
While congratulating Nigerians on the country’s 54th independence anniversary, Tambuwal restated the commitment of the House of Representatives to uphold the ideals of a united Nigeria which he said would take its rightful place in the comity of nations.
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