The work that must be done in the continuous pursuit of Nigeria’s unity includes the “hard work of ensuring justice, equity and fairness for all segments of society,” according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Mr Osinbajo made the point today while delivering the Convocation Lecture of the Sokoto State University.
The vice president who was received at the airport by Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, also paid a courtesy call on the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar.
The Sultan welcomed him noting that he knew the vice president “is here because he loves what he is doing for the development of the country.”
Emphasizing the roles that leaders must play to engender unity, the vice president in his lecture titled “Nigeria: Some Defining Issues for the Future”, noted that “we must not overlook any fears or allegations of marginalization or discrimination on account of religion or ethnicity.
“Political, especially ethnic leaders and religious leaders must do the difficult work of educating their publics about the need to live together. It is the elites, leaders that will do the onerous job of ensuring unity in our communities.”
According to Mr Osinbajo, “unity is not just a slogan or even merely a good idea. It has manifest expression in our communities where Nigerians from diverse backgrounds are commingling, trading, partnering, inter-marrying and blending in various ways.
“We live in a complex web of multi-layered social, cultural, economic, and political synergies playing out in every sector of our individual and national lives. Despite the scale of the challenges facing us, unravelling this web of commonality as proposed by enthusiasts of disintegration is a cure that is worse than the disease.
“This is why we must understand that even though managing diversity can be politically and administratively onerous, diversity itself is an economic strength and harnessing it properly is hugely…
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