Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, has announced to all separatist agitators in parts of the country that Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable.
The governor stated this on Sunday while inspecting a guard of honour by officers and men of the Nigerian military at the Uyo township stadium to mark 57 years of nationhood.
Emmanuel advised all agitators pressing for division and disunity to have a rethink as “there is no alternative to one Nigeria.”
He stressed the need for harmonisation of religious, ethnic, political, and cultural differences for a better Nigeria.
“Let us celebrate our beauty in diversity and use this as a unifying force as opposed to using same as a tool to exclude others from national aspirations.
“Let us use our religious, tribal and cultural differences as galvanising ingredients to forge a stronger bond of friendship and unity.
“Let us respect each others’ sacred boundaries of belief and thoughts. Other societies have used these rich tapestries to enhance and deepen their bond of nationhood.
“The United States for instance, has Jews, who practise Judaism, the Mormons, who practise another variant of Christianity and other shades of religions, and they all co-mingle without causing social fissures,” Udom said.
Emmanuel commended the federal government for steering the country out of recession and assured that the positive effects of such efforts would soon be felt.
“Though we may have experienced economic downturn lately, there is a silver lining in the sky; our recession will soon be over,” he added.
The governor urged Nigerian leaders to explore the rich natural endowment to create an economically viable system for the people.
He lauded the Nigerian military for combating Boko Haram and other sectarian violence threatening the corporate existence of Nigeria.
According to him such military exploits against the dreaded Boko Haram would instill fear and discourage separatist agitations in parts of the country.
Emmanuel, who reeled out his administration’s achievements in the last two years, assured that the state would have a lot to offer the youths in the areas of jobs and other forms of empowerment when the industrialisation drive is fully entrenched in the state.
“Our industrialization drive is on course. I want to pledge here that as long as I remain your servant-leader I will do all I can to move the state forward by pursuing and implementing policies and programmes that will put food on the table, ensure quality and affordable education for our kids, a healthy and vibrant populace and a youth population that earns a living through the works of their hands,” he assured.
