By Saminu Ibrahim
A former governor of Imo state, and Senator representing Imo West at the 9th Senate, on Thursday stated that the National Unity Day Bill which he sponsored seek to create the consciousness of unity in Nigeria.
Indeed, Okorocha wondered that the country celebrate independence day, “the day we assume we got freedom from the colonialists, but we have not celebrated our unity”.
The lawmaker spoke with newsmen in Abuja.
Recall the National Unity Day Bill, passed first reading at the Nigerian Senate on Wednesday.
He explained that since the amalgamation of Northern and Southern protectorates, there has not been any conscious effort to unite the country and create the awareness, saying that there is no difference between Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Efik, and Ijaw man; that we are one people.
“This lack of oneness is what is giving rise to all these economic, security, and political problems”.
He continued: “Take, for instance, the entire issue of Boko Haram, banditry, kidnapping, and armed robbery, put all of them together, I don’t think they are up to 10,000 people nationwide, I don’t think they can chase away 200 million people. It means the 200 million are not united, but the 10,000 are united.
“The National Unity Bill will help us to understand the need for oneness. One thing I realized as a politician in this country is that our communication system is very bad. What the Southwestern and Southeastern leaders tell their people is different from what they say nationally; what the Southeast and what the North tells their people is different from what they say in Abuja.
“When they go back home, they tell their people “Nigeria doesn’t want us, we are marginalized”, but when they come to Abuja, you see them interacting, visit each other, having tea and coffee. They pass wrong messages to ordinary citizens for selfish reasons.
“We have not communicated love, friendship, and brotherhood to our people. We have not gone back to the Igbo man to say the Hausa man is your brother, he loves you, or to the North to say the Yoruba man loves you”.
The former governor added that Nigeria’s unity is still a “theoretical fabrication” that does not reflect any practical realities.
According to him “we all claim that Nigeria is united, but in practical terms, it’s far from being united. Ethnicity, religion, and political parties have divided this country beyond recognition” adding “that is why we are not working as a team and making it is very difficult to govern this country, fight insurgency, handle banditry and other criminal activities”.
“This is why I am sponsoring this National Unity Day Bill where all Nigerians will come together and set a day aside to remind themselves that they are one” Okorocha added.
