A significant part of building a great nation is both in words and actions of all citizens, motivated by the patriotism and the collective efforts of citizens and leaders alike.
These were some of the highlights of remarks by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, at the weekend, during the formal presentation and book launch of ‘The Memory of Seasons’, by award-winning writer and journalist, Arukaino Umukoro.
The event was themed: ‘Conversations on Nigeria’s Unity in Diversity: Challenges, Opportunities’. The book, a collection of poems on nationhood, faith, life and humanity, was published by Eternalfilez Publishing, the organisers of the event.
The Vice President, who was Special Guest of Honour at the launch, held at Shehu Musa Yar ‘Adua Centre, Abuja, noted: “A big part of nation building is talking up your nation.”
“Every country talks up their own country. People of every country talk up their own country. When we get home, we can criticise ourselves, but we must talk up our country, ” Osinbajo said.
The Vice President asked: “What are the narratives we push about Nigeria? The stories of nations written by others focus on their own agendas, the agendas of the authors. The negatives, of course, sell more and much faster. We must tell our own stories.
“We belong to one side, and that side is the Nigerian side. Someone was talking about Arsenal a few moments ago, that Arsenal would win this Premier League. Because that’s our side, we take the side. They may not be the best, they may not win all the time, but that’s our side. This country is our side. So, we must talk up this country, continue to talk it up and make sure that, in every way, that we can, we give the very best impression of our country.
“Our country is not its politicians, it’s not even its religious leaders, it’s not its business leaders, it is you and I. Our country cannot be defined by any group of people, any political party or the head of a political party, or whoever else. It is defined by us, all of us: those of us who are born Nigerians, born by Nigerians, or who become Nigerians by naturalisation.”
Osinbajo noted: “Our stories must be stories of our aspirations, our dreams and our hopes, planted on the successes of our journey and the future of great hope, because we have the incredible talents and material resources, and already on that journey, we are very far ahead.”
In his remarks, Chairman of the Occasion, Rabiu Suleiman, (Chairman/CEO, RiftOil Petroleum Company Ltd and Yolde Energies Limited,) commended the author for a literary work that speaks to nationhood.
Suleiman said: “I am proud of his achievements and how far he has come since then. It is obvious that the Vice President is a big inspiration to him. Arukaino talks a lot about His Excellency’s exemplary character, selfless service and dedication to nation building.”
Highlights of the event included spoken word performances focused on nation building from Umukoro’s book – including Imagine Nigeria and Rebirth of a Nation. They were performed by Tamara Dogubo and Abdullahi Haruna (Haruspice). It also featured a panel discussion on the theme of the event.
