Okowa harps on unity among ethnic groups in Nigeria

* Counts gains of his administration

* Invested as patron of NIPR

By Jon Egie

Governor Okowa gas harped on the importance of unity among the ethnic groups in Nigeria for enhanced development and making the country a relevant player in the global scene.

The call was contained in an address he presented during the 2021 Dr. Sam Epelle memorial gold paper lecture, held yesterday in Asaba and was later invested as a patron of NIPR.

The governor said the theme of the lecture, ‘Reinventing Nigeria’s Unity For Global Relevance In The 21st Century: Issues Of Identity, Governance And Stability, was most germane as it aimed towards making the country better and more relevant in global affairs in the years ahead.

In reference he said, “The Indian poet, playwright and essayist, Rabindranath Tagore once noted that “the significance, which is in unity, is an eternal wonder.” Adding that it takes a perceptive mind to unravel the deep-seated message hidden in this short phrase.

According to him, Tagore’s thought provoking words boldly reiterates the importance of leading a unity-based society where cohesion, harmony, understanding, selflessness and sacrifice highlight the affairs of men and women; guiding their daily activities in pursuance of a national goal. With the rising spate of religious and ethnic conflicts overwhelming the country, embracing unity seems to be the logical remedy needed to right these wrongs. It will help us find our rhythm – the rhythm that defines us as a nation.

“The endowments and resources of our country cannot be harnessed and put to full economic use without unity. Unity is

at the heart of progress, sustainable development and wealth. Unity will help us harness untapped resources, create a place called home for our young generation, put Nigeria on global stage for good reasons and inspire a spirit of greatness. Nigeria needs unity today and always. We can become a better nation if we work together.

He pointed out that from all indications, bad governance, ethno-religious conflicts and lack of faith in the electoral process, are major causes of disunity in the country, stressing that ” the sad reality is that we seem to derive more comfort, protection and security from our ethnic identity. The concept of one Nigeria, therefore, is still just a theory. Another factor responsible for our current disunity is the lack of political will to devise a Constitution that supports true federalism.

“There is no doubt that inefficient leadership is the major challenge retarding the growth and sustainable development of Nigeria. What we missed at independence and for most of the years that followed, is a true national leader with a clear determination and focus to unify the country. Having such a unifying person would have been one big leap, because it could have taken care of the most central challenges of our country. Leadership is pivotal to whatever social change that is desired. It is the leader that charts and navigates the way for the flock to follow and it is the leader’s action, inaction and body language that dictate the tunes for the dance steps of the public. With a good leader, the country would immensely benefit more from its ethno-religious diversity.

He called on Government at both the State and Federal levels, to sincerely look forward to the outcome of the lecture to point the way forward in the search for a credible national cohesion, love and unity, saying there was need for a national dialogue where all stakeholders from across the spectrum of our national life, will meet to dissect the ills and the treatment needed to heal our dear nation.

He used opportunity if the occasion to highlight the gains his administration has made so far saying it was gratifying that his modest achievements were receiving attention.

” I came into office with the agenda of tackling youth unemployment, because the greatest challenge the country faces today, is large army of unemployed graduates and secondary school leavers, which has become serious threats to national security. This is why wealth and job creation became a major plank of my administration. We have been working towards making our youths job creators instead of job seekers. The job creation programme has been impacting positively on the growth and development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSMEs) sub-sector in the State.

“Our emphasis has been to equip these young people with the requisite technical know-how, vocational skills, values and resources to become employable and self-employed. To achieve our goals, we established the Technical and Vocational Education Board and created a special purpose vehicle, the Office of the Chief Job Creation Officer. As at today, we are fulfilled with the progress we have made in this regard with the successful training of at least 100, 000 persons to start up their own businesses. I feel satisfied when I read stories of youths who have established their businesses and have become employers of labour.

” Road infrastructure is a catalyst for economic growth as we have impacted positively on all the senatorial districts across the State. In this regard, we have rehabilitated and constructed more than one thousand five hundred kilometres of roads and built more than one thousand kilometres of drainages across the State. In the health and education sectors, we are also bent on leaving enduring legacies. We have been able to establish three full-fledged universities to take care of the rising numbers of our students who are unable to gain admission into existing universities.

” Ladies and gentlemen, let me use this opportunity to call on both the Federal Government and other States to pay more attention to the engagement of young people. As the maxim goes, an idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” Okowa said.