Tobias Sylvester
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo says that Nigeria is better off as one nation, stressing that no region in the country is better off on its own.
Yemi Osinbajo stated this on Saturday during an interactive session with top officials of Nigeria’s High Commission in the United Kingdom, held at the Abuja House residence of the High Commissioner in London.
In a statement issued on Sunday by Laolu Akande, his spokesman, Osinbajo also said that President Muhammadu Buhari is the most popular politician in Nigeria at this time with the credibility to rally the whole country behind the patriotic push to rise above its current challenges.
He said citizens at home and in the diaspora should promote the message of one country, noting that “Nigeria has better chances in the international community as one nation.
Nigeria Is Better Off As One Nation – Osinbajo
The vice president said no region in the country will be in positions of advantage if they decide to stand on their own.
He said, “If you look at all of us sitting here, we represent all the geo-political zones. This is the Nigeria that will succeed, anything else doesn’t make sense.”
“Anybody who looks at how Nigeria operates will recognise that we are better off in this system, and that is the truth.
“Yorubas are not better off on their own; Igbos are not better off on their own; the North is not better off on its own. We are better off as one nation; that is why we are strong and that is why we can face the world.
Further stressing the need for unity, he stated, “If you read of the economics of smaller nations, they are looking for how they can become stronger by aligning with other nations. How does a country with all the potential and everything that we have, think that the best way is to break up?
“We are at a point in time in our history, where we have security challenges; we have economic challenges, and if you talk about security, there are so many dimensions to it. If you look carefully, all of these could happen to any government and I think we are in the very best position to solve the problems that face us today.
“Security challenges that we have didn’t show up in one day but it is the government, the people, the men and women that will handle them. We happen to be that government, and I am very convinced that we are entirely capable of handling these challenges. I think we are in the best possible position to solve these problems.”
Buhari Most Popular, Credible Nigerian Leader – Osinbajo
The vice president also described Buhari’s popularity and credibility as a crucial factor in galvanizing the entire system to resolve the challenges.
He said, “The president is possibly the most popular Nigerian politician that we ever had in generations. He is possibly the only person who can go into a place or somewhere without bossing people to gather and they will come and listen to him speak,” he said.
“We need that level of credibility to be able to solve problems in our country. And I think because of his level of credibility, despite everything, he is still the only one that can call everyone, and even people who do not necessarily agree with him know that he is a man of his words.”
“Nigerians Must Confidently Promote One Country”
Osinbjo enjoined staff of the High Commission to remain good ambassadors of the country and endeavour to promote justice and fairness in their activities, even as they make more efforts to promote government’s programmes and policies.
He said, “We must promote one country. But, of course, everybody talks about justice, fairness and balance, and that is what we must try to do on a continuous basis.
“Let us not be discouraged, let us be very confident, because our country will come out of all these problems and emerge stronger. So, I urge every person, who represents our country, to ensure that we represent the country well and be able to speak up at the right forum about the country and what we are doing.”
KanyiDaily recalls that Yemi Osinbajo had said that Nigeria’s unity was crucial, warning that should the country break up, the masses would lose out.
