President Goodluck Jonathan on Sunday
chided some unnamed national elders who he accused of making provocative
statements capable of further dividing the country along primordial
cleavages.
The President described as worrisome
that those fanning the embers of disunity were elders who witnessed the
civil war, saw its devastating effects on Nigerians and were supposed to
be teaching the younger generation the need to be united.
Jonathan spoke at the 80th birthday
reception organised in honour of the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the
Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Anthony Anenih, at the International
Conference Centre, Abuja.
He told former national leaders who
attended the event, including Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and General
Abdusalam Abubakar (retd) to help in converting Nigeria’s diversity to
strength.
He added that although the idea behind
the creation of 36 states was for the country to be united, some elders
still continued to exploit the cleavages.
The President said Anenih had continued
to be relevant politically despite his age because he had refused to
join the elders who always worked to divide the country along religious
and tribal sentiments.
He said, “When you are with Anenih, you
will begin to wonder how he has remained relevant politically over the
years. It is not easy for a politician to stay on top for a very long
time.
“I see something in him which is the
advice I will give all of us. Anenih as a leader has shown that he is a
nationalist. He has not shown that he belongs to one tribe or religion.
“In spite of the challenges of politics,
the unpredictable environment of politics, he continues to stand tall.
That is why I am using this opportunity that we are celebrating Anenih
at 80 to plead with our elders to sing the song of unity in this
country.
“They should not continue to celebrate
the cleavages that probably supposed to have separated us. Let us
convert those cleavages to strength and turn Nigeria into one
indivisible nation.
“When Nigeria was amalgamated almost 100
years ago, we had the North, South, West and East regions. You can see
that we have primordial cleavages. Maybe 36 states were created because
those cleavages were not bringing the desired unity to the country.
“But even after dividing us up to 36
states, we still exploit these cleavages instead of strengthening
ourselves. This is not the best.
“Even sometimes, such provocative
statements come from elders who witnessed the civil war and are supposed
to teach the younger ones the need for us to unite; the need to see
ourselves as Nigerians.
“For Anenih, you have not been
associated with such provocative statements and probably that is why
this hall is filled up with all our former leaders, former CJNs, former
and present governors and religious leaders.”
The host, Anenih, said Nigeria might not
be able to get to the Promised Land without unity, forgiveness and the
spirit of give-and-take.
He said since all those who mattered in
Nigeria were gathered in his honour, it would be the national interest
for all of them to decide to forget the past and resolve to move
forward.
He said he was thrilled by the presence
of former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his birthday church service
earlier in the day, describing it as a sign of forgiveness.
Specifically, Anenih asked Obasanjo, Abdusalami, Babangida and Gen. Theophilus Danjuma to work for the peace of the country.
He said members of the violent Islamic
sect, Boko Haram, who he described as the nation’s worst enemies, would
think twice if they saw the four former military officers behind
Jonathan.
He said, “I want to appeal to Babangida, Abdusalami, Obasanjo and Danjuma that we need peace. They can give us peace.
“When you approach President Jonathan,
you get disarmed because of his humility. If all of us are behind him
and genuinely advise him, even our worst enemy, Boko Haram, will think
twice if they see the three of them.
“I want to go to the Villa and find them eating together with the President, it is then I can go and sleep.”
Anenih said his special 80th birthday
message was for politicians to wait for their turn as Jonathan had just
finished half of his first term.
“The President has just finished half of
his first term. Let us take our time, wait for our time. Let us work
together. Let us put our hands behind the President. Tomorrow it will be
your time, today it is his turn. God is with Jonathan. We have to reach
out,” he said.
In attendance at the event were a former
Vice-President Alex Ekwueme; Governors Emmanuel Uduaghan, Delta; Liyel
Imoke, Cross River; Isa Yuguda, Bauchi; and ex-governors Christopher
Alao-Akala and Segun Oni of Oyo and Ekiti respectively.
Others were Justice Muhammed Uwais;
Justice Alfa Belgore; Chief Barnabas Gemade; Senator Ken Nnamani; Alhaji
Ghali Naaba; traditional rulers, members of the National Assembly and
members of the Federal Executive Council, among others.
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That was a pice of advice from elder and father Tony and our president. Its funny this days that some of our behave like children when it come to national matters.
ReplyDeleteThe president should have mentioned names- beginning with Edwin Clarke.
ReplyDeleteWhat an unfortunate leaders for our great country nigeria,always looking for whom to fault and blame for their misfortune and their incompetent. Oh lord, save us from those vampires of a leaders come 2015.
ReplyDeleteSO YOU NEW THIS,
ReplyDelete'"Specifically, Anenih asked Obasanjo, Abdusalami, Babangida and Gen. Theophilus Danjuma to work for the peace of the country""
You and JEG new all these when JEG was busy abusing OBJ , the Man the installed him in the presence of all odds. JEG should forget the word unity. his time is over. He will be shown the way out soon. DOKUNBO SHOULD HELP JEG. foolish militant president with fake PhD
You will be dissappointed
DeleteThis discordant tune of disunity will go as long as the law and the constitution do not make it a crime for people to be divided along this primordial cleavages as being put forward by old war horses that are not relevant politically in this present realities of the transformation agenda of the government.
ReplyDeleteMr president. Well done for the speech. But let me erase one statement from this I have just read. It may be that you did not put it down that way. Never say now that all those that mattered in Nigeria are gathered to honour Chief Anenih. Nobody there is more important than everyone elsewhere in Nigeria. God bless you and God bless All Nigerians.
ReplyDelete