The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Unity

  • Kolade, others: Nigeria better in unity

    Southern elder statesmen yesterday affirmed their belief in Nigeria’s unity.

    They dismissed agitations for disintegration and secession, saying no one stood to gain from the dismemberment of the nation.

    The elder statesmen, led by former Nigeria’s former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr Christopher Kolade and former Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Prof. Anya o. Anya, spoke in Lagos.

    They met under the aegis of YIIEGBA, an inter-ethnic coalition established to ensure unity, progress and good governance in the nation.

    Other prominent members of the coalition include: Chief Ayo Adebanjo; Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife; Senator Ebenzer Ikeyina; Gen. Ike Nwachukwu; Rear Admiral Alison Madueke; Senator Oladipo Olaitan and Amb. Uche Okeke.

    Others are: Mr. Nathaniel Okoro, Captain Prekeme Porbeni(rtd) and Mr. Shyggle Wigwe,  among others.

    Kolade said: “We believe that staying together and working together is the only viable way to go.

    ‘’There is no alternative to one Nigeria. As elders, we shall do everything necessary to keep the nation as one.’’

    He said those who have witnessed war will never stay quiet when some elements are pushing to the nation to the precipice again.

    He described the coalition as a think-tank to keep Nigeria as one and indissoluble.

    ‘’We are facing current challenges with the wisdom of the past for a better future,’’ he stated.

    Kolade warned against hate speeches and other acts capable of disintegrating the nation, saying the price for peace are always cheaper to that of war.

    Anya, who is co-chair of the coalition, said the nation must restructure to avoid the looming conflagrations.

    He said with the coalition, the journey for a new Nigeria birthed with equity, fairness and progress has begun.

    Nwachukwu said the nation was in dire needs of a new format to survive the numerous agitations and unresolved issues.

    He supported calls for restructuring, saying there was no better alternative to keep the nation as one.

    A strategic thinker, Ladi Thompson, said elders statesmen must quickly rally round to save the nation from the self-reproducing programme of fractal failures by colonial leaders.

    He argued that ethnic groups in Nigeria were programmed to live in mutual suspicion and hostility by colonialists, saying there must be reversed engineering to redirect the nation to the path of progress.

     

  • Ashafa preaches unity, love

    Ashafa preaches unity, love

    The senator representing Lagos East in the National Assembly, ‘Gbenga Ashafa, has urged Muslims and non-Muslims to use this year’s Eid-el-Fitr celebration to pray for the nation’s unity and show love to one another.

    In a Sallah message, Ashafa congratulated Muslim faithful on the successful completion of fasting during Ramadan.

    The senator urged Nigerians to pray for those at the helm of affairs in the country.

    According to him, Nigerian leaders need prayers to take the nation to the Promised Land.

    He said: “The time to pray for those at the helms of affairs is now, especially on the completion of Ramadan fast. The leaders must be helped with prayer.

    “I felicitate with Muslim faithful for their perseverance during the Ramadan fast. It is my prayer that Allah will continue to sustain them.

    “I also pray that Almighty Allah will grant unto them the blessings of Ramadan fast, which is purity, self-denial, love for one another and generosity to the poor and needy in our society.”

    The senator urged Nigerians to shun those fanning the embers of disunity, saying the strength of every nation is the unity of its people.

    Ashafa said: “Those clamour for secession is unpatriotic as the lives innocent citizens were lost to keep the country one during the 1967–1970 civil war.

    “This is the time to pray for the speedy recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari, who has demonstrated genuine sincerity to restore the dignity of Nigeria in the comity of nations.

    “Nigerians, irrespective of their tribe and where they live, must imbibe the spirit of love, tolerance, peace and unity by being one another’s keeper.”

     

  • Akpabio, Obasa, Faleke seek unity, love

    Senate Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio, Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Customs James Abiodun Faleke yesterday congratulated Islamic faithful and Nigerians on the successful completion of Ramadan fast.

    They urged them never to deviate from lessons learnt during the period.

    Akpabio’s  goodwill message, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, urged Muslim faithful to close ranks and work for the peace, unity and growth of Nigeria.

    The statement quoted the former governor as saying: “Muslim faithful should not forget the very tenets of the religion, which are love, obedience and perseverance as they celebrate the end of the Ramadan fast.”

    Obasa called on Nigerians not to relent in sharing love among themselves.

    Obasa,in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Musbau Razak, urged the citizens to continue to work for the country’s unity and peaceful co-existence.

    The Lagos Assembly Speaker urged Nigerians to be vigilant at all times and cooperate with the government at all levels to fight crimes in the society.

    “Ramadan teaches us love and unity and I want to urge us not to relent in sharing the love and unity we have done during the fasting period. We should continue to spread love and peaceful co-existence. This is the essence of Ramadan which we must not neglect,” Obasa said.

    Faleke, who was the deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last Kogi State governorship election, urged Nigerians to eschew divisive tendencies and embrace love of one another.

    In a   statement issued yesterday to felicitate with Muslims on this year’s Sallah celebration, he saidthe fragile political atmosphere in the country occasioned by primordial agitations and hate speeches would lead to nowhere.

  • Eid-El-Fitri: Peterside preaches unity, felicitates with Nigerians

    Eid-El-Fitri: Peterside preaches unity, felicitates with Nigerians

    The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has felicitated with Muslim faithful on the successful completion of this year’s Ramadan fast and celebration of the Eid-El-Fitri, while calling for unity among Nigerians.

    He urged Muslim faithful to learn from the significance of the fasting period, which he said dwelt on sacrifice, selflessness, love and unity.

    Peterside, yesterday in a statement by his media team, stated that the lessons learnt from the Ramadan fast should continue to guide the faithful’s daily living and their contributions to the growth and development of Nigeria.

    The NIMASA chief tasked Muslims and indeed all Nigerians to continue to pray for the quick recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari and more wisdom for the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, in the discharge of his responsibilities.

    He said: “Let us continue to pray for President Buhari and his team as they think of ways and means of bringing Nigeria out of recession. This period calls for commitment on the part of everybody. I am confident that in due course, the economy will get better.

    “We should also pray for the unity of this country. God has a reason for bringing us together. We can achieve greatness if we put aside our differences and work together with oneness in fulfillment of our aspirations.”

    On the incessant killings and insecurity in Rivers, Peterside, the 2015 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, admonished Muslims and Rivers people to pray for peace and unmasking of the persons behind the evil acts.

  • Unity, corruption and justice

    THERE is no doubt that the unity of the Nigerian state is going through rough and testy times. But that is not peculiar to the Nigerian nation and that is the theme of my discussion today. My premise is that nations that are diverse have more pressure on tolerance and accommodation of their existence and growth than nations that are united by a common language, culture and beliefs. The core of my observation or belief here, is that diversity is enhanced by unity and promoted handsomely when the rule of law is harnessed for the smooth establishment of justice in all institutions of governance and use of political power.

    I state again here that the basic definition of government, which is that a government is any government, that consistently and successfully upholds a claim to the exclusive use of physical force in enforcing its rule within a given territorial area, comes very much into play here. It therefore follows that we cannot talk of a government worth its salt when it has no force to establish its wishes or directives, as such a government cannot control the use of violence or maintain justice in an environment of diversity in which unity has been corroded or eroded by a lack of law and order.

    It is necessary to be philosophical on this enterprise, given the nature of our topic today. This is because we are looking at political events in diverse nations of the world where educative and important changes took place this week. In Nigeria we look at the fate of the war on corruption in the absence of our sick president as well as the fate of the rule of law, given the current spate of agitation for self – determination which has tasked immensely the legal and political skills of our Acting President, a professor of law in his own right, in the last few weeks. Of course on the global scene, we look at the domestic and foreign twitter antics of the US President Donald Trump as he faces a potential obstruction of justice investigation even as his party, the Republican Party has won crucial bye elections to confirm his popularity amongst those who elected him president, in spite of his media and Congressional travails.

    Thirdly, we look at Saudi Arabia where the reigning monarch changed the royal line of succession by naming his son the new Crown Prince, effectively replacing his nephew who was the Crown Prince till now, and see how that affects the political stability of that leading Muslim nation. Fourthly we look at S Africa where in the face of rampant corruption charges against the nation’s president, a court has ruled that a vote of no confidence can be conducted privately in Parliament against him. We go back to the situation in Nigeria where unity is being threatened by diversity, egged on by allegations of marginalization, injustice and corruption, especially in the judiciary which is expected to adjudicate between the executive and legislature in our presidential political system.

    I intend today to look at the positive side of a rather dismal and discomfiting situation in which the Acting President Professor Yemi Osinbajo has risen graciously and brilliantly to the occasion as a true and gallant ‘Daniel come to judgement‘ in the best tradition of the wise disguised lady lawyer, Portia in Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice. The Acting President spoke to leaders of Thought in the North and South East which are the areas of agitation for disunity and dismemberment of our great nation and I am happy the governors of the land have assured him that there is no going back on the unity in diversity that has propelled the nation so far in spite of the obstacles of corruption and injustice. In addition let me commend two Nigerian leaders who have shown that God is not finished with Nigeria in the way they have pursued the course of justice and the rule of law in our divesrse nation ridden with insurgency and blatant corruption in very high places. The first is the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Nigerian state, Abubakar Malami SAN.

    The second is the Governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Mamman Nasir El Rufai. Without mincing words the two Nigerian leaders in their spheres of governmental and institutional responsibility showed clearly that Nigeria is not a failed state and that government is in place at both state and federal levels to fight corruption, injustice and insurgency. Attorney General Malami won my heart in the way he retorted to charges that he has supported war on corruption half – heartedly by announcing that he authorized the appeal against the discharge and acquittal of the Senate President of all 18 charges related to false declaration of assets at the Code of Conduct Tribunal –CCT.

    Aside from the numerous grounds of the appeal, what I found most interesting was that there was after all, a written statement by the accused, the claimed lack of which was the reason for discharge and acquittal by the CCT. Also interesting was the appeal ground that in assets declaration the onus of proof is with the person declaring assets to prove his declaration and not on his presumption of innocence in other situations in law. The Attorney General described the CCT judgement as ‘unreasonable’ and accused the judge of indulging in ‘judicial rascality’. What our Chief law Officer Malami has done is to show that the prosecution of corruption is not over till it reaches the apex court in Nigeria which is the Supreme Court.

    He has also cautioned all those powerful Nigerians having corruption charges hanging around their neck like the Sword of Damocles, that though the mills of justice may grind slowly in Nigeria, they grind exceedingly fine. In Kaduna state, the governor told a team of Igbo leaders who visited him in his office that Kaduna has always been a haven for all Nigerians and that long ago, the state cancelled the indigene status making it mandatory for all Nigerian to claim citizenship of the state, once they have lived there long enough. More importantly he vowed to bring to law the Arewa youths who asked the Igbos to leave the North, to justice as a deterrent to others that they are not above the law, no matter how long it takes.

    That to me is the spirit of unity in diversity which is our national motto and the antidote to crass insurgency and the orchestrated and insolent whittling of the power of the state to exert its rule and authority all over Nigeria, as demanded by our constitution In the US populism is on a collision with democracy and the rule of law as the US media and Congress prepare to make a charge of obstruction of justice hang on the neck of a newly elected president whose election they say had a Russian connection. Yet Donald Trump’s supporters called FBI boss Comey who admitted that he leaked information with Trump to the media to foment an obstruction of justice names like lizard and liar.

    This was an unexpected charge which the Special Prosecutor appointed carelessly by Trump seemed to have brought into the centre stage to Trump’s acute discomfiture and embarrassment . Yet Trump has campaigned successfully for Republican candidates who have won bye elections albeit in core Republican states. Which is crucial, as Trump would have been written off if these same elections had been lost to Democrats. That simply means that in the US, the merits or otherwise of politics and the law don’t coincide in the public mind and popularity can exist in spite of legal wiretaps coupled with seething media and political animosities. That for now seems to be the fate of the young Trump presidency in the US. Lastly, in both Saudi Arabia and South Africa we see a show of political power and authority as well as a loss of face and authority respectively. The Saudi King Salman in making his son his legal successor and displacing his nephew, has taken nepotism to new heights even for a monarchy in which power is wielded by the one and only one family, the House of Saud founded after the First World War.

    Yet the displaced nephew has sworn loyalty to the son of his uncle and stability is assured in the Saudi political establishment. But it is worth recalling that an even more popular Saudi monarch King Faisal –who ruled from 1964 to 1975 was assassinated by his nephew also named Faisal, who was beheaded for the crime. Which makes the present cohesion in the Saudi monarchy over succession dicey as wealthy princes don’t just suffer displacement easily. Especially in a situation where a 31 year old Prince is placed well above his uncles and nephews in the powerful succession position of Crown Prince to the throne of the Guardian of the Kabbah in Mecca.

    In South Africa President Jacob Zuma must see his approaching political nemesis in the Parliament as payback time for the jolly ride he has had on the back of the popularity of the ruling ANC, the party of the immortal Nelson Mandela . Which really is a shame given the unassailable majority that the ANC has in the South African political system as well as the respect accorded Zuma because he was one of those who suffered in the notorious Robben Island prison with Nelson Mandela, a point of eternal adoration in post – apartheid S African politics. But Zuma has blown everything on inexplicable greed and he must face the music in the S African Parliament and that means total disgrace, albeit out of public view, as he has nowhere to hide. A sad day indeed for majority rule and democracy in S Africa and Africa at large Once again long live, the federal Republic of Nigeria.

  • ‘On Nigeria unity I stand’

    Former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, Major Hamza Al-Mustapha has dissociated himself from the quit notice handed down by the Arewa youth to the Igbo in the north.

    Al-Mustapha, made his position known while addressing the leaders of Igbo traders at the Trade Fair Complex in Lagos at the weekend.

    He said, “On Nigeria unity and peaceful co-existence I stand.”

    The former CSO recalled that when he was released from custody in 2013, he sold the idea of strengthening the unity of Nigeria to the Leader of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Dr Fredrick Fasehun, who he said bought into the idea that took them to Owerri for a two-day youth summit.

    He said: “We took it upon ourselves to go to Owerri as guests and every single youth leader from the six geo-political zones registered his presence. We spent two days to discuss how Nigeria must be kept in peace and we signed a declaration.

    “After addressing the people, we arrived at a communiqué that; every leader in the north should be custodian and protector of every son and daughter of the southern Nigeria looking for his/her means of livelihood in his domain and vice versa.”

    He assured them that, “on the Owerri declaration I stand and remain standing,” adding, “frictions are bound to come,” pointing out that, “when they come, it is what we do with the frictions that makes the difference.”

    He blamed unpatriotic politicians and bad contractors, who he said invest in crisis with a view to making money for the crisis.

  • Ahmed, Ooni call for national unity

    Ahmed, Ooni call for national unity

    Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, and the Ooni of Ile-Ife, Oba Adeyey Enitan Ogunwusi, have called on Nigerians to work for the unity, peace and corporate existence of the country.

    The duo made the call at the weekend when the monarch visited Ahmed at the Government House in Ilorin.

    Ahmed said: “Our diversity should be a source of strength rather than of disunity. God has a reason for creating us in this geographical entity called Nigeria; we should allow that reason for greatness to manifest.

    “We should to live together in peace, irrespective of our political, social, ethnic or religious differences. Everyone must be an advocate of peace.”

    The governor described Oba Adeyeye as an epitome of peace, considering his antecedents since he assumed the throne. According to him, the monarch has redefined the role of traditional rulers as participatory in the act of governance.

    Oba Adeyeye noted that Nigerians have sacrificed for the cooperate existence of the country than the unfortunate song of disunity in some quarters.

    He urged the people to show more patriotism and muster resources for the growth and development of the country.

    “We have more to benefit as a united entity. We must, therefore, sacrifice for the generations yet unborn,” he said.

    The monarch described Ahmed as a focused governor and an embodiment of simplicity and humility. He congratulated him on the state’s golden jubilee.

  • Unity ’ll make Nigeria stronger, says Osinbajo

    Unity ’ll make Nigeria stronger, says Osinbajo

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday called for the continued unity of the country.

    Speaking at the Palace of the Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi Otu V, Osinbajo said the Federal Government was doing everything possible to accommodate every Nigerian and that President Muhammadu Buhari’s government would continue to work for the interest and development of all sections of the country.

    Osinbajo advised against compromising the unity of the country, as her greatness was derived from its diversity and population.

    The Acting President said rather than engage in activities that would compromise the status of the country before the international community, it was better for the various ethnic groups that make up Nigeria to work together and support each other.

    Osinbajo said: “The country is only great because of its diversity. The reason why the country is great is because of its diversity. It is because we have here people of every race, people of every tribe, bringing in their different cultures, their different strengths; all of these things that make each one of our ethnic groups great comes together in one country.

    ‘We are greater when we are together than when we are apart . This country is greater together than apart. Everyone of our ethnic groups needs the support of the other. When people speak of Nigeria, and respect this country, it is because of the diversity, it is because of the strength in the numbers that we are considered great. That is why the whole of Africa looks to us for direction. If we were one small enclave nobody will look at us with the seriousness they look at us today.

    “And so unity is absolutely important, unity is absolutely important. We must be prepared to work with every other ethnic group and be united.

    “God himself wants us to be united. That is why in the scripture He says there is neither Greek nor Jew, neither male nor female; all of us children of the Almighty God, and we must come together. If we are much stronger, we are greater when we come together than when we are apart.”

    He assured that the government would do everything possible to ensure the successful construction of the Odukpani – Itu-Ikot-Ekpene federal highway, and the control of various erosion sites in the state.

    He also said the federal government would support Governor Ben Ayade’s signature projects which include the 260 kilometres super highway, and the Bakassi Deep Sea port.

    The Obong expressed gratitude for the visit and appealed to the federal government to ensure all projects they have initiated in the state were completed.

    The monarch who lauded the strides of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration said it has brought a new sense of purpose, and hope to the country.

    “I thank this administration so much because they have come in now and directed the affairs of the nation properly. It will take time but the effect will be felt by all. We need a reorientation, that we have gotten whether we like it or not”, he said.

    The Obong of Calabar urged the country’s leaders to focus on the people instead of political party interest because the nation’s interest was paramount.

    The Acting President was given a chieftaincy title in Efik tradition “Ada-idaha ke Efik Eburutu (a chief in Obong’s Council).

    Those who graced the occasion include Governor, Ayade, Deputy Governor Ivara Esu, Speaker John-Gaul Lebo, Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC),Senator Victor Ndoma – Egba,  foremost industrialist, High Chief Asuquo Ekpenyong; former Managing Director of Tinapa, Architect Bassey Ndem; Senator Bassey Otu, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, and a host of others.

    Osinbajo commended, Governor Ayade’s effort to industrialise the state while performing the ground-breaking ceremony of the Ayade Industrial Park in Calabar as part of his two-day working visit.

    He described the park as an industrial hub in Nigeria and Africa.

    He also performed the ground-breaking ceremony of the Cross River Rice City and inaugurated the Calabar Garment Factory, both situated inside the park.

    “It tells us of what the future holds for the people of this state. It is really going to be a major industrial hub in Africa, ‘’ he said.

    The acting President added: “TThe governor clearly has defined this state as one that will be a major industrial hub in Africa. This is the beginning of that vision and I am extremely honoured to be here to perform the groundbreaking ceremony.

    “I want to commend you for the great work you are doing and more importantly for inspiring a whole generation of young people,” adding that “many people want to hear you speak, many want to share your ideas. I am not surprised that they call you digital governor.”

    Ayade said his vision was to make the state the destination for investment in Africa.

    He solicited the support of the Federal Government in his quest to develop the state through the on-going projects.

    The governor added: “Let me also welcome our acting president, a man ordained by God at this point in time to stand for our President at this challenging time. A man who also has the feeling, love and spirit for the people.”

  • Health sector professionals seek unity

    Health sector professionals seek unity

    Teamwork in the form of inter-professional collaboration has been described as the best way to go in the interest of patients and nation building.

    This was the summation of professionals in the health sector that gathered for the one-day symposium organised by the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAP) in partnership with Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN).

    The event chaired by the former President, Nigeria Academy of Engineering, Engr. Vincent Maduka, was held at the Ade Ajayi Auditorium of University of Lagos, Akoka. The theme was: Health of the Nation: The imperative of inter-professional collaboration.

    The former Minister of Health, Prof Eyitayo Lambo, who was the keynote speaker, said there were many factors ailing the health sector, and the best professionals in the sector could do for the patient wais to work together and communicate mutually.

    “That way each professional will be able to work seamlessly, professionally in their areas of competence and for the patients’ healing and everybody will be happy as a team,” said Prof Lambo.

    Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) represented by the former Lagos State chairman, Dr Francis Faduyile, said the association had held a summit with a similar aim in time past and it is good that all other professionals come on board of the recommendations.

    Former Minister of Health and President of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi said the dire state of healthcare in Nigeria today, despite continuing efforts, required that all professionals should work in harmony to tackle the issues for the good of the country.

    “Unfortunately, the poor state of affairs is made even worse by the animosity, distrust and consequently, disharmony among the different professionals in the health sector,” said Prince Adelusi-Adeluyi.

    He added that the most vital resource in the health sector is not the annual budgetary allocation from the government, but rather, the sector’s huge human resource endowment which unfortunately is not  harmonisedwhich often is to the detriment of patients. “It is only by building on its strengths which include its diversity, that the health sector can become truly primed to deliver optimal value to Nigeria”, he added.

    PSN President Alhaji Ahmed Yakassai reiterated that as healthcare professionals, “we need to work together as brothers and sisters to ensure that our patients get the best quality care and treatment that can be provided. The culture of healthcare has long emphasised solo acts, we cannot continue like this if the patients’ interest is paramount. Research has shown that inter-professional collaboration improves the quality of care and patient’s satisfaction leading to a better work environment overall.

    “This would require a systemic change in practice, effective and open communication, professional trust, and a system of coordinated care that allows patients to be part of the decision making in relation to their care. Adopting this team based culture of mutual respect and understanding is possible and very necessary as we all have a moral obligation towards the welfare of the patient. I believe that together we are better and we are stronger.”

    Adelusi-Adeluyi said some of the brightest minds in this country were in the health sector. Yet in the last few years, the efficiency and effectiveness of public health delivery had suffered steady decline as a result of the unhealthy rivalry among various professionals in the sector. “From a historical standpoint, this situation didn’t start today. Look at the Hanzard of February 1961, it quotes the first minister of health, Dr. Adekoyejo Majekodunmi, as saying that the budget is okay but he prays that there would be funding in time and that there would be cooperation among those working in the health sector.

    “This symposium has been long in waiting to be held. It doesn’t matter who has organised it. What is important is that we have a very comprehensive representation of all the members of the health sector present. It is time to disappoint those who have profited from the disharmony among healthcare professionals. Unless we all come together and negotiate with humility and with a sense of accommodation, the distractions will continue. It is my belief that this landmark occasion would not be in vain.

    National Secretary PSN, Gbolagade Iyiola, Vice President Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy, Sir Ifeanyi Atueyi and a foremost pharmacist, Prof Fola Tayo all said the symposium was a replicate of the historical joint conference in Las, Nevada, USA organised by the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA) to bring together different healthcare practitioners together to enhance interprofessional collaboration.

    Other healthcare professionals who presented paper during the panel discussions include: Asst Director of Nursing Services, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, (LASUTH), Mrs. Shode Modupe Jokotola; Chairman, Jaykay Pharmacy Ltd, Jimi Agbaje; MD, Lahor Research Laboratories and Medical Centre, Prof. Dennis Agbonlahor; Assistant Editor, Guardian Newspapers, Chukwuma Muanya and Group Medical Director, Reddington Hospital, Dr Olutunde Lalude who represented Dr. Ebun Sonaiya, a medical doctor and former president of the Guild of Medical Directors.

  • Emmanuel: Charting a cause of unity for Akwa Ibom

    Recently, Governor Udom Emmanuel fulfilled yet another electioneering promise to the people of Akwa Ibom State when he hosted past governors and deputy governors in the state at government house in Uyo. Those in attendance were the second elected governor of the state, Obong Victor Attah; his deputies Obong Chris Ekpenyong and Sir Michael Udofia and the immediate past deputy governor Noble Lady Valerie Obot, as well as the first elected deputy governor, Sir Etim Okpoyo. For Obong Victor Attah, it was a return to government house publicly for the first time, 10 years after he left office, a memorable experience for a man who once superintended the state for eight uninterrupted years.

    For Governor Emmanuel, it was a victory for his sincerity and steadfastness in providing a melting point for all stakeholders to share in the task of repositioning the state for greater days. The governor, it could be noted, came into power with a five point agenda of which economic and political inclusion stood out.

    In less than two years as the Chief Executive of the state, he has redefined leadership to the admiration of all and sundry by throwing open the doors to the government house for all Akwa Ibom people irrespective of political affiliations. For the entire world, this is a study of politics without bitterness, politics of sportsmanship, politics of no winner no vanquish, the philosophy of Governor Emmanuel, where the interest of the people form the fulcrum of leadership.

    Earlier this year, the governor had played host to Engr. Ben Ukpong, the former deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, where he congratulated him on his emergence as a commissioner in the National Population Commission.

    The recent meeting may not come as a surprise to many considering that they are senior citizens on one hand and secondly, Emmanuel has shown character and sincerity in his unity agenda for the state. This was noticed during the visit of Mr Umana Okon Umana his former opponent and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2015 general elections. It was an opportunity for the governor who introduced his vision to explore and harness the rich coastal heritage of the state, by developing the Ibom deep seaport, industrial city and jetty projects, to enhance marine transportation in the state. This prompted Mr Umana, Managing Director of the Oil and Gas Trade Zone to agree to partner the state government to actualize some of these visions.

    Even the most ardent political philosophers have been stunned by the governor’s enterprising team spirit, as they had perhaps thought that the governor will keep all perceived political opponents at bay especially considering the dogged fight they had put up in respect of the coveted seat.  Malice could be obtained from any other leader, but not Governor Emmanuel who has shown magnanimity in victory and clearly demonstrated a willingness to provide a pedestal for the cross fertilization of ideas from all and sundry.

    Apart from meetings with different stakeholders in the Akwa Ibom project, he has also demonstrated his belief in political inclusiveness by way of project execution in the state. Today there is no section of the state that has not been visited with life-touching projects, irrespective of their stance in the last general elections. His administration has also taken it upon itself to complete some projects that could not be completed by past administrations in the state.

    For instance, the 10th anniversary hotel project initiated by the administration of late Navy Captain Joseph Adeusi in 1997, had since been completed and now serves as the State Secretariat Annex. Similarly,  the popular Etebi-Enwang Road connecting Mbo with Esit Eket local government, and the Uyo –Ikot Ekpene road initiated by the immediate past administration of Obong Godswill Akpabio in addition to many other projects which are receiving maximum attention from the government. His concern is how to develop the state quickly and this cannot be done in isolation of key stakeholders across the state. In treating the business of government as a continuum, Governor Emmanuel thinks of the benefits that would come to generations of Akwa Ibom young people, as opposed to political gladiators who are most concerned about the next elections. It is not of Emmanuel’s concern who takes the credit, as long as the programmes or projects are in line with his avowed pledge to provide wealth, jobs and alleviate poverty. He has stepped further to throw open his doors to run an all-inclusive governance, in line with his Dakkada philosophy that everyone should rise above all elements of divisiveness such as ethnicity, politics, gender, and other forms of human and natural impediments.

    Social commentators who have been observing the current trend in the leadership of the state, have variously admitted that this will go a long way to closing unnecessary cracks in the unity of all sections of the state. First, supporters of each of the past leader will now be encouraged by the smooth communication and will have little or no option than to also jump into the large and comfortable umbrella of unity in the state.

    Getting closer to the seat of authority also enables the former leaders as opinion moulders, the access to first-hand information on the progress and developments currently being witnessed in the state under the Udom  Emmanuel-led administration. With the bridging of the communication lacuna, it is also easy for their undiluted suggestions to get to the ears of the listening governor, which cements their positions as active stakeholders in the Akwa Ibom project. This also places on them the responsibility of suing for peace from everyone in the state, and clamouring support for the present government to succeed.

    It is common scene nowadays to see the governor embracing and exchanging pleasantries with all his indigenous predecessors at government functions in the state, be it the recent burial of the Oku Ibom Ibibio 111, the Pan Niger Delta Forum assemblage in Uyo, or other states functions at the state government house. It is not difficult to induce from the expressions on the faces of theses political stakeholders that Akwa Ibom is in for better days as the synergy between the past and the present signals a converged for a better, united Akwa Ibom envisaged over a century ago by our forebears.

    Indeed, Governor Udom Emmanual is leaving no stone unturned in fulfilling his promises to the people. He has kept faith in the area of infrastructure consolidation and expansion, as well as economic and political inclusion.

     

    • Ndueso writes from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.