Chido Onumah: Saying Nigeria’s unity is not negotiable is balderdash

Chido Onumah, coordinator of African Centre for Media & Information Literacy, says the assertion that the unity of Nigeria is not negotiable “is balderdash”.

In August 2017, President Muhammadu said the unity of the country is not negotiable.

“Nigeria’s unity is settled and not negotiable. We shall not allow irresponsible elements to start trouble and when things get bad they run away and saddle others with the responsibility of bringing back order, if necessary with their blood,” Buhari had said.

The president had said this in reaction to a quit notice an Arewa group gave to Igbo residents in the north.

But speaking at an event themed: “Politics and good governance in Nigeria” in Abuja on Thursday, Onumah said if the country’s unity is not negotiated, “it will negotiate itself.”

According to him, institutions are not working because Nigerians do not believe in the country.

“Nigeria is not yet a nation. For your institutions to work you have to have people who believe in the country,” he said.

“We steal because we have not taken ownership of the construct of Nigeria. Saying Nigeria [unity] is not negotiable is balderdash. If you don’t negotiate it, it would negotiate itself. Local governments should get their funds and do what they are meant to do.

“Our leaders have not made efforts to build a nation from what was handled to them by the colonialists. We need a nation that will be in unity and equitable. We need to reinvent our nigerianness.”

Adora Oyechere, a house of assembly candidate for Okigwe constituency on the platform of Action Alliance (AA), said instead of having political ideologies, what are obtainable are “political cults”.

“I am afraid for the country and what our children will inherit,” Oyechere said.

“Politics is local, if the local governments do not work the centre cannot hold. It is not only on social media, we have to start [inculcating good governance to youths] from the Churches and
Mosques.”

She added that Nigerians should not only be concerned but get involved in the electoral process.

“The government will not work until we work it, if they don’t, we shut it out. Nigeria is hanging on the edge,” Oyechere said.

Also speaking, Sani Abdallah, director-general of Buhari/Osinbajo mandate group, said the votes of Nigerians are beginning to count.

The event was organised by the Nehemiah Apostolic Resource Centre.