The Director General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Olusegun Runsewe, has called on Nigerians to put their differences aside and help in building the Nigeria of their dream.
The NCAC Boss who is also President, World Craft Council (WCC), African Region said that the 2023 General Election has come and gone and that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has promised to run an all-inclusive government of national unity, reconciliation and competency.
Runsewe spoke at one -day program themed, “Putting Nigeria First”, organized Wednesday by NCAC in Abuja. Speaking further, he noted: “We have no other nation apart from Nigeria. Therefore, to make Nigeria great is a task for all Nigerians irrespective of place or circumstances of birth, religion or creed.
“This is why we must eschew all forms of religious bigotry, ethnic jingoism and unhealthy political practices that tend to fan the embers of disunity and distract us from our development aspirations.
“Our nationalists who fought for our political independence did not achieve victory on the strength of ethnic, religion or other parochial inclination. Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Alhaji Tafawa Belewa and Sir Ahmadu Bello, all of blessed memory, fought together as one to liberate us from the clutches of colonial rule and exploitation.
“It was the spirit of the unity that the timeless lyrics of our first national anthem were couched: Though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand.We must Keep the spirit alive, so that the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain.
Adding: “I therefore call on all Nigerians, particularly our political elite, religious leaders, traditional rulers, opinion moulders, leaders of thoughts and indeed all patriotic Nigerians to join hands with the new administration in its determined effort to reposition our nation on the part of sustainable peace, socio-economic growth and development. Enough of hate speech, destructive criticism, unhealthy ground standing along political parties, ethnic and religious background.”
In his Keynote address titled, “Media and Politics”, a renowned Nigerian broadcast journalist, Mr Gbenga Arulegba, stated that no election anywhere is perfect, even in United States of America believed to practice the best democracy in the whole world.
He therefore urged journalists and media houses to strive to balance their reportage and bear in mind that Nigeria is our only country.
The President, National Association Of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mrs Susan Akporiaye, who spoke on the “Role of Women in National Unity”, urged Nigerian women to know that they are not competing with men rather they are complementing them and that they should put their best to help build the country.
Rev Dr Godwin Agaga in his presentation titled, Religion and Ethics”, informed Nigerians that religion thought them to be loyal to God and to the government, and that it is only God who has the ultimate say in the affairs of Nigeria.
Speaking further, he said that “we need a place called Nigeria in other to be able to practice our religion, that to be adherent, you must first be a citizen.”
Also in attendance were students from different schools in Abuja and delegations from the Association of Public Procurement Practitioners Of Nigeria (APPON), led by their chairman, Mr Emem Kanico
