ONDO State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, on Tuesday, commended Nigerians for their resilience in sustaining the nation’s democracy despite the socio-economic and political challenges confronting the country.
Akeredolu who stated this during this year’s celebration of Democracy Day in Akure, Ondo state capital, said “Nigerians have been able to sustain19 years of unbroken democracy, even with the various challenges confronting us as a nation”
The governor who urged the people of the nation not to lose sight of the lessons which political experiment they have been taught advocated for the unity of the country.
He said “Today reminds us all of the dogged resilience of our people to enthrone self-rule. The people of this country had their reasons for supporting the transition to civil rule. Some of them paid, supremely, for their conviction, for which we are immensely grateful.
“The current actors on the political scene must, therefore, ensure that their death is not rendered insignificant by our acts of omission and commission. We must not allow despondency to replace hope.
“The harsh economic realities compel inquisition on the best system of government suitable for a multi-ethnic and religious society such as ours.”
Akeredolu, however, said that all the agitations across the country are indication limiting towards the unsettling fact that the nation’s journey to nationhood is still far, but identified that “our diversity is indeed a source of strength.”
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“Our survival as a people depends, to a large extent, on our collaborative efforts. This choice was made a long time ago by the nationalists who preceded us.
They worked at it and faltered. We have risen from the fall to continue the journey to a truly representative government after the military interregnum.”
The governor called on the youths in the state to embrace agriculture and also advocated for the functional educational system to arrest the current embarrassing situation.
The Guest Lecturer, Dr Wale Okediran, identified ethnicity as one of the factors militating against the unity and development of the country, saying the problem of ethnicity is common to multi-ethnic societies like Nigeria.
Okediran in his lecture said ” for Nigeria stability and the achievement of national unity and reconciliation, it is imperative for Nigerian to see themselves as belonging to one indivisible country, where tribes and tongue may differ, but in brotherhood, we stand.
He said that the reign of justice, equity, fairness, and respect for the rule of law and the right of all citizens will go along to guarantee true national reconciliation in the country.
He said “Justice, fairness and equity would engender the peoples’ trust in the system and minimise the ethnic antagonism that has tended to undermine reconciliation in Nigeria. The surest way to achieve this is the entrenchment of good governance in the country.”
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