Independence Day: FG, citizens must agree on ideologies for progress, says pro-unity group

Promoters of One Nigeria Ambassadors Club (PRONIG), a pro-unity group, have recommended ways that the country can progress.

In a statement issued on Sunday to mark Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Day anniversary, Edache Okoh, president of PRONIG, said national leadership and citizens need to agree on ideologies and actions to ensure equity and justice.

Okoh said it is necessary that the country’s motto — “Unity and faith, peace and progress” — is reflected in every decision that the current administration takes.

“We therefore need to have a deliberate and honest national action and discussion to agree on the kind of country we want; the type of government we need; the class of citizens we should be; the sort of systems and institutions we should operate. This discussion is important because we must agree that our national motto is either an actionable vision or mere words,” the statement reads.

“We should also be able to say that we are satisfied or dissatisfied with where we are on the question of national unity. And if we are satisfied, we can therefore all agree as citizens that we are at the best we can afford. If we are not, then we should be able to look at the challenges in the face and deal with them.

“It is important to note that the wordings of our national motto are clearly deliberate. Only unity can guarantee collective faith in the country, and only peace engenders progress. But the question is: are we united? Is there peace? And we therefore ask, should we continue to pretend and pray when we can actually act?

“Both leadership and citizens have a patriotic duty to align their thoughts and actions together to ensure a united, peaceful, viable, stable and progressive country. Beyond a national convergence which is usually talk shows, this national alignment of thoughts and actions which serves as an emotional and psycho-spiritual national convergence is the kind of re-meeting that we need.

“But the leadership of the country starting from the federal level down to the local authorities should lead the charge. And they must do so in practical ways by jettisoning the old ways of cleavages towards ethnicity, religion, region and the politicization of issues that should not be subject to politics.”

Okoh expressed concerns that nepotism is “becoming institutionalised” and bemoaned the current hardship faced by citizens owing to recent economic reforms.

He asked Tinubu to find speedy ways of addressing the situation and urged citizens to be patient as the country is in a phase of reformation.