President
Goodluck Jonathan on Monday, urged delegates to the National Conference to do nothing that will
undermine the unity of the country.
The
President who spoke while declaring the conference open said he has no personal
agenda as regards the conference and further
charged the delegates to focus strictly on the desire of Nigerians to
build a greater nation.
He
reminded participants of the formidable challenge of the programme of the
coming weeks, saying that the Conference was an “opportunity to hope anew.”
He
also stressed the need to approach the conference with a “new spirit of oneness and national unity”, in spite of the long odds and issues the
meeting is designed to address.
It
is expected that the national conference will be followed by constitutional
amendments based on the proposals and agreements reached in what is arguably
the most critical episode of the country’s national existence. This it is hoped would decide how the
country would be reformulated going forward.
Jonathan calls it “a new day… the dawn of a new era.”
This
we can achieve by building a more inclusive national consensus on the structure
and guiding principles of state that will guarantee our emergence as a more
united, progressive and prosperous nation.
He
said: “In our history as a
political entity, we have experienced highs and lows but have always forged
ahead. To my mind, the fact that we have weathered all storms and continued
with the mission of evolving a truly national identity signifies that we are
going in the right direction.
“The strongest nations in
the world today also went through their own formative stages; some for decades
and others for centuries. We must learn from them that nationhood will not
happen overnight, especially given the circumstances of our birth as a nation.
“History also teaches that
nation-building is a journey of dedication, commitment, diligence, perseverance
and patriotic vision. To be successful, nation-builders must continually strive
to evolve better and more inclusive societies in which every citizen is a proud
and committed stakeholder.”
While
explaining why the Federal
Government constituted the conference, President Jonathan said
The
National Conference is being convened “to engage in intense introspection about the political and
socio-economic challenges confronting our nation and to chart the best and most
acceptable way for the resolution of such challenges in the collective interest
of all the constituent parts of our fatherland.
“This coming together under
one roof to confer and build a fresh national consensus for the amicable
resolution of issues that still cause friction amongst our people must be seen
as an essential part of the process of building a more united, stronger and
progressive nation.”
He
said that Nigerians cannot continue to fold their arms and assume that things
will straighten themselves out, instead of taking practical steps to overcome
impediments on our path to true nationhood, rapid development and national
prosperity.
News source : sunnews online
march 17th 2014
Whatever
our feelings are about the President Jonathan Administration, it is in our
interest that this Conference has been convened. It would be unwise for us to
allow the same narrow-minded issues of bigotry and intolerance that have led us
to this critical point hold us back from reaping the possible benefits. All
considerations of tribe and religion must be put aside, as Nigeria is neither a
religious entity nor a simple collection of tribes.
Only by
pulling in a common direction, in spite of our many differences, can we forge a
path to true nationhood.
SOLACE H.R
Well written
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