President Buhari and Igbo Chiefs
President Muhammadu Buhari on
Tuesday urged the people of the South East not to buy
into want he described as the senseless propaganda of secession.
He said Nigeria and Igbo
were inseparable.
Buhari said these in his
remarks at the Abakaliki Township Stadium during his state visit to Ebonyi
State.
According to a copy of his speech made available to our
correspondent, the President said his presence in the state was a demonstration
of his strong belief in the unity of the country.
The President said, “My presence here today
is a demonstration of our strong belief in the unity of Nigeria. As the most
populous country in Africa, with over 300 ethnic groups, our diversity is
almost unique among nations.
“The people of the South East are known for their
ingenuity, industrial and commercial talent. There is no part of Nigeria where
you will not find Igbo entrepreneurs, both men and women, contributing to the
development of their adopted communities.
“So I am asking you all
not to buy into the senseless propaganda on secession. Igbo is Nigeria and
Nigeria is Igbo. Both are inseparable.
“We must therefore
continue to commit ourselves to the development of Nigeria. A Nigeria where we
sustain our national unity without compromising on our cultural identities. A
Nigeria where the aspirations of its people is guaranteed without prejudice to
tribe or religion. A Nigeria, where we can sleep at night knowing that tomorrow will
be better than today.”
Buhari said described the task of nation-building as a
continuous one.
He recalled that the
nation’s founding fathers from all parts of the country worked
together to actualise the creation of one Nigeria.
After independence,
according to the President, the same founding fathers worked together to
maintain one Nigeria.
“Yes, they had
differences and varied opinions at times. After all, they were only human. And
yes, they had moments of weaknesses and doubt. But again, no one is perfect.
However, one thing they all protected until the end of their lives was having
one Nigeria for all Nigerians.
“Today, Nigeria is 57 years old. Nigeria has gone through
many pains. But has also achieved significant successes. Its citizens are
leaders in all aspect of human development. But we rarely celebrate these
successes more.
“Some misguided
Nigerians would rather channel their energy to propagating negative stories and
senseless rumours.
“Over 60% of Nigeria’s
population is under 25 years old. They have little knowledge of Nigeria’s
journey. They were not born during the dark days of civil war and the nation
rebuilding that happened afterwards. “
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