NIGERIA'S former Ambassador to Canada and President, Leadership Institute, Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher, has urged Nigerians to re-strategise, restructure and think so as to quickly overcome the security challenges currently facing the nation, pointing out that the challenges were not insurmountable.
Hagher stated this on Wednesday in Jos at a two-day programme tagged: "Nigeria Good People, Great Nation." He said the programme was an avenue for Nigerians to rethink Nigeria's values and how to move forward and to truly build a great nation.
He added: "Since 1960 till today, Nigeria has been a responsible member of the international community. We have gone all over the world preaching peace, advocating peace, sacrificing our young men and women to make sure that there is peace in other countries around Africa and around the world. If we have done so much, is it impossible for us to bring peace to our country? So, Nigeria is a great nation. Nigeria is one of the few countries, which has no problems with its neighbours," he added.
He continued: "We have never fought a war with Niger Republic, we have never fought a war with Cameroun, we have never fought a war with Chad or with Benin Republic. But amazingly, when we had conflict between Nigeria and Cameroun over our oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula whose inhabitants are Nigerian citizens. Nigeria sat on a negotiating table and said, you can have it! We gave out our oil-rich peninsula to the Cameroun to have peace."
He said Nigerians were confident, self-assured, quick to identify injustice and as such, they want to be treated with respect and dignity.
He condemned the bombings, killings, armed robbery activities, kidnappings and other forms of criminalities prevalent in the country, saying it was not in the character of Nigerians that he knew. Instead, he suggested that the leaders should choose how other communities and countries were dealing with their diversities.
The Guardian