Agitations threaten Nigeria’s unity, says Saraki

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Friday, said that
various agitations by some ethnic groups across the country were
threatening the peace and unity of the country.

He said this in Calabar, Cross River State’s capital, during the
opening of a two-day retreat of the Southern Senators’ Forum which
has the theme, “National unity and restructuring.”

Saraki said Nigeria was currently faced with diverse challenges,
expressing confidence that the retreat would give a direction on
the way forward in strengthening the existing peace and unity of
the country.

The Senate President noted that the unity of Nigeria was a
prerequisite for development, stability and greatness, adding that
without unity, the country would not achieve the desired
change.

He said, “I have no doubt in my mind that, with the inspired
leadership at its helm, the Southern Senators’ Forum will remain a
strong, clear voice that speaks forcefully in the interest of the
region.

“Since the end of the Nigerian Civil War, our unity has never
been more challenged than at the present time. There are agitations
across the length and breadth of this country that threaten our
unity.”

The Senate President said that there was no group of people
better placed than members of the 8th National Assembly to steer
the debate on the way forward on restructuring.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson,
on Friday said that Nigeria’s unity was negotiable.

A statement by his Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Daniel
Alabrah, quoted the governor as saying that the country’s unity
could not be sustained by constitutional provisions or mere
force.

The governor spoke in Calabar during the retreat organised by
the Southern Senators’ Forum.

Speaking on “Protecting Ethnic Minorities in Project Nigeria,”
Dickson called on the opponents of restructuring to work towards an
equitable society rather than seek solace in constitutional
provisions “that do not guarantee a fair and sustainable
country.”

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, on Friday, said that
various agitations by some ethnic groups across the country were
threatening the peace and unity of the country.

He said this in Calabar, Cross River State’s capital, during the
opening of a two-day retreat of the Southern Senators’ Forum which
has the theme, “National unity and restructuring.”

Saraki said Nigeria was currently faced with diverse challenges,
expressing confidence that the retreat would give a direction on
the way forward in strengthening the existing peace and unity of
the country.

The Senate President noted that the unity of Nigeria was a
prerequisite for development, stability and greatness, adding that
without unity, the country would not achieve the desired
change.

He said, “I have no doubt in my mind that, with the inspired
leadership at its helm, the Southern Senators’ Forum will remain a
strong, clear voice that speaks forcefully in the interest of the
region.

“Since the end of the Nigerian Civil War, our unity has never
been more challenged than at the present time. There are agitations
across the length and breadth of this country that threaten our
unity.”

The Senate President said that there was no group of people
better placed than members of the 8th National Assembly to steer
the debate on the way forward on restructuring.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson,
on Friday said that Nigeria’s unity was negotiable.

A statement by his Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Daniel
Alabrah, quoted the governor as saying that the country’s unity
could not be sustained by constitutional provisions or mere
force.

The governor spoke in Calabar during the retreat organised by
the Southern Senators’ Forum.

Speaking on “Protecting Ethnic Minorities in Project Nigeria,”
Dickson called on the opponents of restructuring to work towards an
equitable society rather than seek solace in constitutional
provisions “that do not guarantee a fair and sustainable
country.”