Don harps on value of friendship as Kogi State Unijos alumni mark International Day of Friendship »

A friend has been variously described, but the term is to Dr Anthony Ali, a lecturer at the Department of History and International Studies in the Federal University Lokoja, any human being that one comes across anywhere.

The assertion was made on Tuesday in Emonyoku – Ogugu Community in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State to mark 2019 International Friendship Day organised by the State Chapter University of Jos Alumni in collaboration with other interest groups.

The don said in a paper he presented that many societies have remained underdeveloped because of the inability of its inhabitants to acculturate, saying it was in a place where people were allowed to contribute to the socio-economic and political activities without recourse to their ethnic, religious and other differences that development would easily abide.

According to Dr Ali, ethnic chauvinism, tribal bigotry and religious considerations have no place in serious environments, and urged the public to embrace progressive policies that would unite rather than divide the people.

He iterated that the Nigerian spirit was one that gives opportunities to people irrespective of their places of origin, adding that it had given several persons senses of belonging anywhere they went, including himself.

The lecturer also highlighted some of the benefits of policies like the National Youth Service scheme introduced to encourage integration and cohesion among the various ethnic stocks in the country and urged the youth to use their energies to drive the process of positive, sincere and lasting friendship.

While further calling on people to network and reach out across all divides, he urged the public to look beyond their immediate environment, family, tribe, religion and state and embrace anyone they come across as they may never know the friends that would bring about societal transformation.

Earlier in his opening address, the Chairman of University of Jos Alumni Association in Kogi State, Hon Oladeji Bayode had stated the essence of the day as one that emphasised the need for people to accept each irrespective of differences and ensure they make such persons friends.

He said a practical example was the respect they were bestowing on one of their own who is a true friend and a son of Emonyoku Community, Hon Edward Onoja, in honour of whom the event was taken to the area as part of the association’s community development service.

The Chairman urged the students present at the event who came from all parts of Igalaland not to sever their relationships on the basis of ethnic and religious differences but embrace each other for the purpose of improved future.

On his part, one of the partners for the event, Hon Jimoh Fancy Tiamiyu gave the example of the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello who is leading by example by appointing people from all parts of the state and beyond as part of his cabinet.

He mentioned that Bello was the first Governor to appoint his Chief of Staff from outside his ethnicity and gave opportunities to non – indigenes based in the state, with people from other parts of the country also forming part of his administration.