Gov Yahaya Bello: The Flicker of Hope
By Comr Solace Omolaiye
As a village boy, we were nortured with several words of wisdom and most come in the very form of adage/proverbs, I remember a popular saying that broom sweep better when they are binded together firmly than when loosed apart; this saying which can be easily experimented also connote that the effect of a group of people is better when United than when seperated by whatever reason(s).
Unity become a veritable factor for effectiveness in any developmental strides by any group.
On this note every nation will do so much to keep her people United .
According to Eme-Uche (2012), ‘National unity portends a feeling of common purpose that bind people of diverse cultures, colours and ethnic nationalities together as one. It is achieving cohesion between groups of diverse backgrounds that have come together for a common purpose. Duverger in Ojo (2009) defined national unity as the process of unifying the various segments of a society to make it harmonious based upon an order its members regard as equitably harmonious. Also, Jacob & Tenue in Ojo (2009) conceive national unity as a cordial relationship existing among members of a political community.
Unity is the sublime pedestal on which a nation can be super-structured to enable it make a constructive march to Nationhood and takes it respectful place in the comity of Nations. It is therefore expedient that Nigeria the most populous Nation in Africa demands a Unified direction.
Consequently, it is a known fact that Nigeria as a nation is still horrendously steeple chasing in the cesspit of total disunity, so much so that some analysts and political alarmist predicted that Nigeria as a nation will be no more by 2015. But 2015 has come, like the ides of March “not gone”.
The heterogeneity of Nigeria is a fillip and force for it’s political combustion and conflagration.
The task of unifying the various ethnic, religious, political and socio-economic groupings in Nigeria has remained a daunting national challenge more than hundred years after amalgamation in 1914. This is particularly puzzling, considering that all government regimes since independence in 1960 have made national unity their important agenda. Concomitant programmes, policies and mantras including institutionalization of the federal character principle, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), unity schools, national symbols, National Orientation Agency (NOA), and mantras such as “the unity of the nation is not negotiable”, among others have been adopted to facilitate national unity in Nigeria. Yet the gap between the various groupings seems wider as the nation is still plagued with ethnic rivalry, religious intolerance, political exclusion, quest for self-determination, power sharing and violent agitations to mention a few. The result showed that unity remains a scarce commodity in Nigeria because of the manner elites conceived and implement policies to reinforce primordial loyalties. As a result, government policies and projects are narrowly conceived and implemented to favour selected groups and communities.
The potentials of any nation, are perpetually destroyed when they are cracked through natural, socio-economic, political, tribal, religious and cultural etc imbroglios. Hence, Nigeria must tread with cardinal circumspection and caution, because they are fulcrumed on a diaphanous and delicate balance.
It is unequivocally clear that Nigeria is in desperate need of unity in it’s continuous March to Nationhood. It is clear that the unity and peace in our country would eventually be a sin qua non for us to achieve economic and technological advancement. A disunited country, which is at the brink of descending into an anarchy situation cannot achieve greatness.
On this established facts, patriotic Nigerians most especially youths with greater demographical strength in population have been calling on a ray of hope to guide the nation and unify the people.
Gov Yahaya Bello of kOgi state is seen as “sliver of Hope” as he has examplified and achieved true state of Unification in Kogi state. It is important to note that Kogi state a microcosm Nigeria due to its multi- ethnicity, different religion groups and bounded to over nine states, a cosmopolitan state has in time past bedeviled with disunity, ethnic profiling, religious acrimony evidently manifesting in inter-tribal crisis, intra religion crisis etc.
The emergence of Gov Yahaya Bello, brings relative unity to the state in 2015 which grows until Kogites begin to see themselves as one irrespective of ethnicity and religion. The New direction govt rode on the EBIGO mantra not by chanting but by actions and policies of equity. For the first time, the Luggard house become the place for all, you don’t need to speak a certain language before you gain access to the govt house as experienced previously, the govt officials was evenly distributed among the various tribes and for the first time a sitting governor has his Chief of staff from another ethnic group, the state House of Assembly accepted the EBIGO mantra and put that into practice by having all the ethnic groups in principal position. Kogi found her UNIFIER and development begins to take its course freely.
The infrastructural development was not concentrated in any senatorial district, it was equally shared among the three senatorial district, this helps the people to totally believe in the government as every zone was carried along in the developmental strides of Gov Yahaya Bello. This brings total peace and cooperation among the people. EBIGO becomes not only a word mantra but a reality mantra.
Nigeria needs such leader at this crucial time of our history. It is unequivocally clear that Nigeria is in desperate need of unity in it’s continuous March to Nationhood.
We therefore call on all and sundry to throw their weight on our beacon of hope Gov Yahaya Bello who has shown his leadership prowess in strategically repositioning of our nation through political renaissance, social integration, Religious tolerance, economy destructuralization, cultural rebirth, ethical renascence, patriotism, leadership zeitgeist, a total love of country.
We need Gov Yahaya Bello to bring a new orientation in leadership that will refocus our concentration on national rebirth and unity of Nigeria. The indivisibility, indissolubility of Nigeria as one United sovereign Nation must remain the mantra , ethics, desideratum and canticle of all Nigerians from play group, primary school, through secondary school to University level.
Gov Yahaya Bello, an Egalitarian leader will create a political, socio-economic, religious and cultural ambience of justice, equity and fairness. There can be no peace and unity without justice and tribal/ethnic groups must have a sense of belonging and shared values.
Gov Yahaya Bello is our Flicker of Hope.
By Comr Solace Omolaiye
Concerned citizen.
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