Nigeria @57: Dogara, Lasun preach peace, togetherness

SPEAKER of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, on Saturday stressed the need for Nigerians to strengthen the bond of unity and cohesion as a people of common interest and destiny in the process of nation building.

This is contained in a goodwill message to mark Nigeria’s 57th Independence Anniversary, issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan.

The Speaker who noted that Nigeria would only attain greatness in an atmosphere of peace, unity and stability, also enjoined the citizens to shun every harbinger of hate, division and violence.

“May I use the occasion of this year’s Independence Anniversary to urge us all to reflect on those things that unite and bring us together as a people, and shun individuals and groups with divisive tendencies.”

“At this time, more than any other, we must adopt the right strategies and utilize the advantages of our diversity to our benefit as well as blend our differences for positive outcomes in the process of building the Nigeria of our dream.”

The speaker also enjoined Nigerians to eschew ethnic, religious and sectional chauvinism and come together as one people and “one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity” as encapsulated in the country’s National Anthem.

“True independence will continue to elude us until and unless we attain independence from tribalism, sectionalism, primordialism, religious extremism, partisan political bigotry, materialism, corruption and ancillary forms of retrogressive tendencies that threatened to consign us to the forgotten age.”

The Speaker also assured that the House of Representatives will continue to provide the needed legislative framework that would further galvanize the people and unite the nation as well as help find solutions to the country’s socio-political challenges, urging the citizens not to moan in despair, as the country would surely come out stronger from its current challenges.

Also, Deputy Speaker, Hon Sulaimon Lasun Yussuff has appealed to Nigerians to continue to live together in harmony, love and peace.

Deputy Speaker in his 57 years independent anniversary celebration called for unity and peaceful co-existence, which according to him are the major cores of national prosperity.

According to a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Wole Oladimeji, the Deputy Speaker stressed the importance of the rule of law in building up the stable democratic Nigeria which would be beneficial to everybody in the country.

He appealed to Nigerians to eschew violence and learn how to tolerate one another so that peace could rein because without peace, no nation can grow or develop.

According to him, “Nigeria may not have been where we want to be but we have made appreciable progress and we can do more”.

As a nation, he said, we need to strengthen our unity as one people with one mission and purpose. The stable democracy has offered us the opportunity to harness our abundant resources for good.

As the chairman of the House Special Ad hoc committee on political agitations in the country advised against individuals or groups that encourage, preach and practice division among the people.

He assured that National Assembly will continue to do its part by providing the needed legislative framework for the Executive Arm of Government to continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people.

He urged Nigerians to support President ‎Buhari in his efforts at stemming corruption in the country, stressing that it is obvious that APC ruling government is fixing the economy therefore, all hands must be on deck to ensure the success of the moves.