National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress
(APC), Mr John Odigie-Oyegun, says Nigeria will not breakup,
against the backdrop of recent agitations and issues bordering on the country’s
unity.
“My message is to
our people nationwide,” Odigie-Oyegun said in his address at an event to mark
his 78th birthday on Saturday evening in Abuja.
“The pride that you feel when you walk out and say you are a Nigerian,
backed up by 170 million people and hopefully backed up by an economy that will
bring us back to growth, to stability, to development. “The pride that each and
every one will feel is greater than the attempt to disintegrate us into tiny,
mini-republics; that will not happen,” he added.
The APC chairman
said while the President Muhammadu Buhari administration was acutely aware of
the challenges faced by citizens, the current administration remained solidly
focused on the task of building a new foundation for the country and delivering
on election promises to the electorate. “Yes,
these are very challenging times, no question about it,” he admitted, adding
“the foundation of our nation is being rocked very greatly.” “We promised
change but quite frankly, change of the immediacy that we promised has
inevitably run against the kind of fightback that we are having today.”
“I think to
emphasise that because of the kind of President that we have; because we have a
man who is thoroughly ingrained in due process and insists on due process;
because we have a man as a President who insists on fairness; who insists that
justice must be given its due place. Everything must take place according to
due process. “The powers of darkness are
taking advantage of this to fight back in such a massive way that they are
beginning to threaten the very foundations of our nation. But let me say this
with all the emphasis at my command that change there must be, this nation will
stay united!” he said. Odigie-Oyegun informed that the Federal Government was
painstakingly building a new and diversified economic foundation based on
production and not a wholly oil-dependent one.
He also described
the economic foundation of President Buhari’s administration as “a foundation
that will propel this nation to greatness; a foundation that is destined to make
us, truly the first, the largest and the most potent black nation on the face
of the earth.” “Yes, it has caused pains; yes, it has caused stresses. Yes,
there is a bit of hunger in the land, people are grumbling, no question about
that. “But if you need to eat an omelette, it is inevitable, you have to break
the egg,” the APC chairman added.
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