Nigeria @56: Peace advocate calls for national harmony

A peace advocate, Mr Olaniyi Owolabi, on Friday called for national harmony as Nigeria clocks 56 years on Saturday.

Owolabi, the Executive Director, Advocacy for Advancement of Peace & Harmony in Africa Initiative(ADAPHAI) said that only national peace and harmony would sustain Nigeria.

He maintained that in spite of the cultural plurality and diverse socio-political backgrounds, the country could still build a virile and indivisible nation with harmonious co-existence.

According to him, the journey of 56 years as a nation-state should be enough to unite all interests to and form a formidable entity.

“No nation survives economically and enjoys stable political system without sustainable harmony with aggregated interests.

“The technical defeat of Book Haram in the North-East and the frantic efforts of the military to curtail militancy in the Niger Delta are commendable and laudable.”

The peace advocate enjoined political leaders to be accountable and responsive at all times in order not to provoke violent resentment from the citizenry and by implication polarise the nation.

He also urged Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of patriotism and national interest, adding that the country needs the cooperation of Nigerians to overcome many of its challenges.

“As we are celebrating the 56th year of our existence as a nation-state, we should be conscious of those factors that will sustain us on all fronts.

“Obviously, there is need for national harmony, where every interest is aggregated and articulated for common goals and aspirations.

“It is instructive to know that no nation survives and attains enviable political and economic condition with unaggregated interests and polarised system.

“I am optimistic that our country will definitely surmount the present socio-economic challenges if all hands are on deck,” Owolabi said.

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