The President of the Senate,
Abubakar Bukola Saraki has said that agitations across the length and breadth
of the country has threatened the existence and unity of Nigeria.
“This retreat is a very
commendable initiative, and the timing is extremely well-judged. As a nation,
unity is a prerequisite for development, stability and greatness. Unity is the
first focus. Without unity, we can achieve nothing. And yet we know that, since
the end of the Nigerian Civil War, our unity has never been more challenged
than at the present time.
“However, it must be emphasised
that Nigeria is not alone in this predicament. In Africa and the rest of the
world, similar agitations are causing governments and those they rule over to
question their continued co-existence, amid new and persistent threats to their
unity. The ripples of Catalonia’s failed referendum bid are still being felt in
Spain.
Consequently, the Senate
President noted, “In all of this – the ability to dialogue, to listen to one
another, to seek to understand the other person and to accept each other’s
differences – is important in this issue of unity. Indeed, unity must exist
before you can even talk about restructuring or reform.
Dr Saraki said, “How do we stay
together? How do we do this? How do we deliver on the task entrusted in us at
this critical time? As I see it, the only way is for us to see ourselves, first
and foremost, as Nigerians. Not as a language – or tribe – or religion – or
region – or any other consideration out there that serves to deflect our
attention from the quest for national unity. We must see ourselves as Nigerians
first.
“Firstly, today, there is no
group of people better placed than members of the 8th National Assembly to
steer the debate on the way forward, because they are political leaders elected
by the people. Secondly, by virtue of our constitution, no restructuring can
take place without the National Assembly. By the grace of God, lawmakers will
define the Nigeria of tomorrow and many generations to come.
“In seeking to carry out any
reform or restructuring, it is worth bearing in mind that the founders of our
country, in their wisdom, had laid down some guidelines, making clear that it
cannot be done by a simple majority, but rather by a two-thirds majority.
“To this end, we must all be on
the same page. We cannot bully or browbeat others into accepting our point of
view or positioning. Whatever we do, must be by consensus, with the buy-in of
all critical stakeholders in the debate.
“To my mind, what stops us from
striving for consensus is the fear of the unknown. But we cannot allow
ourselves to be ruled by fear; it only drags us backwards, impeding our march
towards greatness. If truly we love this country, then we must overcome that
crippling fear of the unknown.
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