Former speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara has called on members of the ‘Pene Day Bwatiye’ cultural groups for the Bachama speaking race to prioritise unity among themselves and the development of Nigeria.
During the closing ceremony at the Bwatiye 2025 International Cultural Festival and Development Foundation Fundraising, held at Mahmud Ribadu Square on Saturday, Dogara emphasised the need for shared values among Nigeria’s diverse ethnic groups.
He said, “We are one people, one nation. Unity is our strength, not in numbers, but in purpose. If we truly want to progress as a nation, we must embrace our commonalities and work toward shared goals. It doesn’t matter the dialect you speak, or the faith you ascribe, but the common thing that unites us is humanity.”
He expressed happiness with the diversity of the Bwatiye people, who have spread to Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, and Central Africa, urging them to use service to humanity as a rallying point.
In her remarks, Adamawa State deputy governor Professor Kaletapwa George Farauta asked Bwatiye to prioritise love, peace, and oneness to foster unity for the ‘Pene Da Bwatiye’ worldwide. She stressed that the group can’t live in isolation from other tribes, hence the need to live peacefully with neighbours.
“As neighbours with other tribes, you should learn to live in peace and for progress.
“The Bwatiye slogan of oneness should always be shown to us as people. We are elders of the land; we need to role model the younger ones,’’she said.
The deputy governor called on the youths to embrace education and pursue careers in various fields of endeavour with determination and focus.
She equally raised concerns over teenage pregnancy and its negative consequences, adding that it should not serve as educational disruptions, and limited future opportunities.
“The teenager and her child can equally go back to school and access education and get jobs as alternatives to child pregnancy.”
