Ahead of the 2023 elections, stakeholders yesterday advocated for more inclusivity in Nigeria’s politics.
The stakeholders who spoke at the 10th memorial lecture and unveiling of the Sir Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa Foundation held in Abuja, added that unity in diversity as we are approaching the 2023 general elections.
Yakowa, as a serving Governor of Kaduna State, died in a tragic air mishap on December 15, 2012, along with the former National Security Adviser, Gen. Owoye Andrew Azazi, in Okoroba, in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Speaking at the memorial event yesterday, former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai, (Retd), described fairness, equity and inclusiveness as the necessary ingredients required for peace to reign in any society.
General Agwai said this while giving a goodwill message, Agwai noted that the late Governor of Kaduna State, Sir. Patrick Yakowa, who was his friend from childhood, espoused the virtues of true leadership and practiced what he preached in the area of peace and consensus building.
Agwai said, “He was someone who believed that if you want security, you must have fairness, equity and inclusiveness. That is what he tried to do all his life.
“Let us all know that if we want security, we must have equity, fairness and inclusiveness.”
Delivering a paper titled: “The prerogative of choice: Its challenges and implications for national unity,” a former Nigerian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Amb. Bulus Lolo Bulus Lolo urged Nigerians to have a change of attitude in the way they choose their leaders ahead of the polls.
“What will inform your choice? Will we still go back with the same old history, same old practice, same attitude and expect a different result? Never, we keep doing the same thing we will keep getting the same result.
“Let us reject that attitude, let us love one another and the country that belongs to all of us. Our dream is that Nigeria celebrates diversity, that draws strength out of the small pieces to make a collective force.
“Barack Obama was a son of Blackman from Kenya but he rose to become the president of the United States of America. He was not rich, he was not white but that was because in America they practice diversity and they gave him an opportunity. And the United Kingdom and India rose to become the youngest UK Prime Minister.
“When will a minority, a Christian from northern Nigeria after a good governance, become the president of the federal republic of Nigeria? When will a Muslim from the South East or South South will become the president of the federal republic of Nigeria? Let us learn to give people that chance, based on competency, knowledge and experience not on expediency.
“We cannot run away from the secular system state of Nigeria, we must emphasize secularism as a policy of state. We must learn to give each other that room to excel without discriminating against them but if you decide who you will employ, who you will give that opportunity remember you are causing more harm than good. Going forward we must truthfully look at ourselves, whether we are from the right or from the wrong or we have done what is good for all.
“Let us make our institutions work better, let us give room for people to fly and advocate that our local government must be truly and truly autonomous. No governor should have the right to dissolve a council.”
He said that combining ethnicity, religion and politics unify the people in diverse settings. Adding that Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa’s life made him a unique civil servant. Yakowa was a man of history, he had a mission and he accomplished it.
Also presenting his lecture, titled:”The dignity of human person as a basis for Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa’s administration philosophy” Prof Peter Bauna Tanko said that the dignity of human person matters even if it is the mad person.
He said that every human being needs the connection of the other person. Adding that you and I are brothers and sisters if we consider it this way then we will not have problems that we are having today.
He added that there is a need to give opportunity to everyone, grant independence to others, give them opportunity and as a leader take responsibility.
Those also present at the event include; former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, former governor of Bayelsa State, Sen Henry Seriake Dickson among others.
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