Nigerian Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, has stressed the need for Nigeria to remain united amid calls for secession by various regions in the country. ayokinews.com reports
Osinbajo while speaking at the National Social Cohesion Dialogue organized by the Africa Polling Institute, in Abuja noted that the Nigeria has and will continue to remain together despite the numerous attempts of those who want the country divided.
The Vice President further condemned the categorization of Nigerians into indigenes and non-indigenes as an apartheid act which should be stopped.
VP Osinbajo said, “All Nigerians have a constitutional right to live, work and enjoy their lives in peace and safety under the law. The classification of Nigerians as “indigenes” and “non-indigenes” is a form of apartheid and contradicts our declared aspirations towards equality and unity.
“This is why when we launched our Social Investment Programmes, the eligible beneficiaries were selected based on their states of residence and none was discriminated against on any basis. This was in keeping with the idea that the only true path to national progress lies in broadening access to opportunity for all Nigerians without qualification.
“Our destinies have become so interlinked as to be inseparable. This is why this administration is investing heavily in transportation infrastructure – road, rail, sea and river ports to reduce the distances between our people and link localities to markets and enable trade, travel and tourism.
“We must ensure that we see it for what it is a criminal act which must be punished according to the law and not an ethnic conflict. Criminals must not be seen or treated as anything other than criminals and certainly not as representatives of any ethnic or religious group.
“We will not defeat crime by dividing ourselves. We can only overcome it by uniting against our common enemy are the criminals who terrorize our people.
“Nigeria will be a great loser if we were to break up; when we see the greatest economic advantage to our size about to come to life. In short, staying together as a collective affords each of our communities far more opportunities for prosperity than they would have if they went their separate ways. We have all that it takes to be truly more than the sum of our parts.”
