Maduako Igbokwe I Thursday, Nov.16, 2023
AWKA, Anambra – Governor of Oyo State Dr Seyi Makinde has stated that Nigerians have moved beyond asking ourselves whether we will live together or not.
He said that the country is already together , noting that people should rather think of how to make system beneficial to all the citizens irrespective of tribe or religion.
He made the statement at the 12th annual Zik lecture series held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Anambra state on Thursday.
The theme of the lecture is ” Reclaiming Zik’s World : Climate Justice and African Sustainable
Development:”
“We should not be asking ourselves whether we will be together,we are already together. The question should be ,how do we live together? How do we build structure that will be beneficial to every body and what structure that is best for us?
At this time of nationhood ,we should not be talking about some one from a particular zone did not win an election. We should not be talking about splitting of the country. What is before us is not only about uniting Nigeria but also uniting Africa. I don’t think that at this time somebody should be asking us to split the country. We should focus on building a country that is fair to all Nigerian” he said .
According to him, Nigeria is witnessing deeply fragmentation of the nation’s political activities due to regional political affiliation and must be addressed.
He said that there is no other better way to celebrate the father of the nation (Zik) than to extend handshake across the Niger.
According to Makinde,politics is sessional while nationhood is internal, noting that Nigerians should be thinking about building a better nation as demonstrated by great Zik of Africa.
“Zik was an epitome of nationalism,he stood for one Nigeria. He was burn in Zungeru in North, educated in West and had his origin from East. He had a national outlook and was nationalistic. Zik believed in one Nigeria and Nigeria indivisibility,we should be together. We have just risen from an election that ethnicity was used for campaign and religion was placed at frontburner. This Zik lecture gives us an opportunity to talk about nationhood.
“Political unity of Nigeria is the best and indivisibility should perpetuated. After 60 years, Nigeria remained together and We have fought civil war, several campaigns by states and none state actors to sow seeds of division that will separate us,yet we are still one . I believe in the unity of Nigeria and we must work toward united Nigeria by involving a structure that will guarantee equal opportunity to every body” he said.
