Independence Day: Dogara urges Nigerians to strengthen bond of unity

The speaker,  who said that Nigeria would only  attain greatness in an atmosphere of peace, unity and stability.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara,on Saturday called on Nigerians to strengthen the bond of unity and cohesion as a people.

Dogara made the call in a goodwill message to mark Nigeria’s 57 years Independence Anniversary, issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Turaki Hassan  in Abuja.

The speaker,  who said that Nigeria would only  attain greatness in an atmosphere of peace, unity and stability, also urged the citizens to shun every harbinger of hate, division and violence.

“May I use the occasion of this year’s Independence Anniversary to urge us all to reflect on those things that unite and bring us together as a people, and shun individuals and groups with divisive tendencies.

“At this time more than any other, we must adopt the right strategies and utilize the advantages of our diversity to our benefit as well as blend our differences for positive outcomes in the process of building the  Nigeria of our dream.”

The speaker also urged Nigerians to eschew ethnic,  religious and sectional chauvinism while coming together as one people and “one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity” as encapsulated in the country’s National Anthem.

“True independence will continue to elude us until and unless we attain independence from tribalism, sectionalism, primodialism, religious extremism, partisan political bigotry, materialism, corruption and ancillary forms of retrogressive tendencies that threatened to consign us to the forgotten age.”

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Dogara also assured Nigerians that the House of Representatives would continue to provide the needed legislative framework that would further galvanize the people.

He added that legislative framework would also unite the nation as well as help find solutions to the country’s socio-political challenges.

He therefore urged the citizens not to moan in despair, as the country would surely come out stronger from its current challenges.

SOURCE - PULSE.NG posted by Campus94