Why Nigeria Should Remain One Nation – Neliaku
The Chairman, National Planning Committee Citizens’ Summit for National Integration, Peace and Security, Dr Ike Neliaku, asserts, the outcome of consultations and reflections since the Committee began on a robust fact-finding tour of the country, revealed clearly that a considerable percentage of Nigerians understand in maintaining the integrity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He said there is a dire need to ask questions like are Nigerians willing to stay together, do Nigerians love Nigeria, or if Nigerians will want Nigeria to remain, to find out the problem which he noted, is mostly lack of proper engagement and communication.
The planning committee Chairman also said they found that agitations are not restricted to any part of the country and their findings revealed that if certain issues that have formed the fundamentals of agitations across the country are resolved, Nigerians will prefer to live together as Nigerians.
According to him, if matters that have caused certain misconceptions, misunderstanding and distrust, are taken care of by leadership across board, Nigerians will prefer the option of staying together and building a strong and formidable nation in Africa.
He counted security and federal character as some of the problems that have not been effectively managed saying that the NIPR believes that the challenge of federal character could be tackled through effective implementation of the concept which is why the NIPR in partnership with over thirty nine organizations across the country, have come to the conclusion arising from several meetings that one of the practical ways to engaging, resolving and rebuilding nationhood is for citizens to discuss.
He called on all Nigerians to join hands with the NIPR and its partners to support the Citizens Summit for National Integration, Peace and Security initiative as one of the ways to resolving the issues even though they believe that Nigeria is too strong to disintegrate.
