Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday, said Nigerians are stronger and more powerful together than apart.
Osinbajo stated this in Kano at the 12th colloquium to celebrate the 69th birthday of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The colloquium with the theme, ‘Our Common Bond, Our Common Wealth: The Imperative Of National Cohesion For Growth And Prosperity’, was midwife by the vice-president.
According to the vice-president, the foundation to building a new Nigeria is already being laid, but it further requires a growing new tribe of Nigerians that are willing to make the sacrifices and self-constraints crucial to building a strong society, and are prepared to stick together and fight for equity and justice.
He described Tinubu has become an institution who has nurtured so many leaders due to his peculiar and distinguished leadership style.
The vice-president participated at the event virtually after weather conditions changed his travel plans to Kano.
READ ALSO: Colloquium: Ganduje and I represent Nigeria’s unity, says Tinubu
“This would be my first colloquium where I will not be physically present at the venue. Several of us did the best we could from Abuja to get to Kano this morning, but bad weather certainly gave us so much difficulty that we were unable to fly there,” he stated.
According to the VP, despite the various socio-economic challenges worsened by the fallouts of a global pandemic, he urged Nigeria to avoid stoking tendencies, viewpoints and opinions that threaten the federation and our unity.
Osinbajo commended the Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, for hosting the colloquium, stating that it further deepened the essence of national unity.
He said, “Only a few days ago, we were set to have a completely virtual colloquium with a hub in Lagos, the customary location of the Colloquium, when Governor Ganduje graciously offered to host the physical aspect of the hybrid Colloquium.”
Osinbajo added, “By this gesture, Governor Ganduje has helped us to tell two stories. First is that, it is befitting that Kano should be that place, this city of radical and progressive ideas and ideologies; a city whose leading political lights have been left of centre, which is the dominant tendency within our great party the All Progressives Congress.
“Secondly, it helps us to underscore the point that this country and its people are stronger and more powerful together than apart. For the purveyors of breaking up into small components perhaps they should be reminded that we would not have been able to accept Governor Ganduje’s offer to come to Kano at short notice, since we would all have needed visas to come to Kano.”
The event was attended virtually by President Muhammadu Buhari, who chaired the occasion. The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Dan Rodrik, a Professor of International Political Economy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; while the panel discussion was moderated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema.
The panelists included President Weah; Dr. Koroma; Mohamed Yahaya, Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Amaka Anku, Practice Head, Africa Eurasia Group, Washington DC; and Nimdir Nansoh, Founder/CEO, HoP Africa.
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