Former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has stated that the forces tearing Nigeria apart are too strong and that resolving the divisions among ethnic groups must take precedence over discussions regarding development and other national concerns......READ THE FULL STORY>>.....READ THE FULL STORY>>
Jonathan articulated that the primary challenge facing Nigeria from a political standpoint is its lack of unity, asserting that actual development will remain unattainable until this matter is addressed.
AZNews.ng reports that the former President highlighted these yesterday in Effurun, Delta State, as chairman of the Wellmann Group Colloquium.
Jonathan noted that Nigerians should have recognized the advantages of unity after more than a century of amalgamation, particularly in light of the country’s geographical and ecological diversity.
Jonathan also criticized members of the National Assembly who place the interests of their ethnic groups above those of the nation as a whole.
He expressed regret that, despite Nigeria exhibiting the characteristics of a nation, unity—a crucial component of nationhood—remains absent.
The former president stressed that leaders must assume a significant role at both state and national levels. He called upon political leaders to implement fair policies and initiatives beyond the pursuit of immediate recognition.
Jonathan said: “Presently, the forces separating us are too strong. We must weaken these nationality boundaries and see ourselves as a nation.
“There must be a reason why these people felt that bringing these two parts, the rainforest area and the savannah together, would form a better country. But that now creates a country with so much diversity: diversity of human beings and diversity in terms of religion. Then, from the amalgamation to date, we have not been able to develop ourselves to the extent that we see ourselves as one.
“Some members stand up and say, ‘My people.
“Federal lawmakers must downplay this issue of my people and begin to take the whole country as your people. Because you are a member of the Nigerian National Assembly, either the Senate or House of Representatives. You are not a member of the assembly of your people at the state assembly. And I believe this is the area that we need to look at if we must get out of this quagmire.
“Presently, the forces separating us are too strong. We must weaken these nationality boundaries and see ourselves as a nation.
“We believe in our own ethnic nationalities. So what you see in Nigeria is a conglomerate of small ethnic nationalities. And we are more loyal to these ethnic nationalities than to the nation. What we have today is that the boundaries between these nationalities are getting wider.
“Most countries also have these different nationalities that come together. But over the period, they begin to see themselves as a nation rather than a country. And until we begin to see ourselves as one nation, as the weak national boundaries between the nationalities, we cannot move anywhere.
“Since the constitution stipulates that each state must have a minister and there are 36 states, it is easier to appoint ministers because you can have one per state.”
Jonathan, however, stressed that it becomes more complicated with the appointment of heads of various parastatals, as this could easily lead to the president becoming tagged with allegations of nepotism.
Jonathan, while recalling his experience said, “What I did was, if a minister normally brings to the secretary of government at least two vacancies, I normally keep asking the secretary of government to wait until we have a minimum of six. And when we have a minimum of six, then when we are giving the appointments, we make sure that every geopolitical zone will have one. And that really helped me.”
The former President said political leaders, from the president to the local government chairman, must make conscious efforts in all their appointments to have the unity of the country, their states, and local government areas at heart.
“All this is to reduce the forces that separate us.
“While Nigeria is not the only country with multiple nationalities, it is the number one country where people are yet to see themselves as common citizens of Nigeria. And as long as you continue with that spirit, it will be difficult for us to develop this country,” Jonathan added.
