As the clamour for the country disintegration continued from a section of Nigeria, a Lagos-based human rights activist, Comrade Declan Ihekaire urged breakaway agitators to sheath their swords and worked towards a united Nigeria.
Ihekiare, who addressed pressmen on Sunday in Lagos in commemoration of his 49th birthday, argued that the problem of Nigeria was bad leadership and not the composition of various nations comprising Nigeria.
“We have watched with keen interest the affairs in this country and submit that what Nigeria lacks is good leaders who would harness our resources for betterment of all and not to separate. Nigeria’s founding fathers worked for a United Nigeria despite their differences because they saw the light in the Nigeria nation as a united one”, he noted.
The activist observed that there is no region that does not have resources to harness for the nation’s development urging Nigerians to root for detribalized leaders that make good of the nation’s enormous potential.
He said, “If oil is in the South South, there is yam in the North Central, Tomatoes, Onions, Beans in North Proper, Palm Oil in the East, Cocoa in the West-then implies Nigeria is inter-independent and needs good leaders to harness all our God gifted natural resources for the common goal of all Nigerians”.
Ihekaire continued, “Further still our separatists agitators today cannot and will never be wiser than Late Ojukwu from the East, Papa Obafemi Awolowo from the West, Azikwe from the East also, Tafawa Balewa from the North, Adaka Boro from the South South.
“For all these reasons, our agitators rather than beating the drum of Ethic war embarking on a genocidal hate speeches should form a formidable forces against the spoilers / looters of our treasury.
“In addition, findings have revealed that those Separatists have either benefited or benefiting from the cabals who have held Nigeria as a nation down all these years.
“The Separatists should have a rethink and put all effort towards challenging our elected / appointed leaders to performance.
“Lastly, the government of the day should avoid been seen as ethic inclined through appointments or selection of people to fill national portfolios. Appointments should be and must be based on the Federal character Policy but for the best qualified ones. This advice if heeded to would tend to reduce the current agitations”.
