Nigeria better as a united country, says Uzodimma

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, said on Saturday that despite the challenges facing the nation, Nigeria is better off as a united nation.

Uzodimma, in his address to the people of the state on the occasion of the 62nd anniversary of Nigeria's independence, expressed his optimism about the country's ability to overcome its current challenges.

The governor urged political leaders who preached messages of hatred, tribalism and religious disintegration to stop.

He said it was not by mistake that Nigeria had overcome difficulties like civil war and was still strong.

Uzodimma pledged that his administration in the state is committed to serving the state better, urging citizens and residents of the state to support his administration to do better.

He said "Yes, despite all these shortcomings, the way forward is not to dwell on our failures. Instead, we should make a conscious effort to celebrate and be proud of our successes. And there are not few of them. Subsequently, we should use them as a fulcrum to move forward with more confidence into the future.

"It is important that as a nation, we do not let our past mistakes or failed dreams hold us hostage. Instead, we should learn from our mistakes and turn the lessons into real tools that can help us better navigate the future. I believe our great country's greatest achievement is that it has held together as one indivisible nation, despite the many challenges that have beset us.

"Oliver Goldsmith's memorable words that 'Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we fall' should constantly inspire us to plod on, no matter what. setbacks we may have faced or are facing right now.

“So we must resolve to move forward, more united and less distracted by what divides us. In fact, every prosperous nation has had its fair share of turbulent and uncertain times. because their faith in themselves and in their country has remained unwavering.

“No nation can survive without the trust of its people. To succeed, a nation needs the trust, love and fervent patriotic commitment of its citizens. of independence as an opportunity for us to rededicate ourselves to the promotion and defense of our common interests beyond our own interests.

"We must also resolve to come to terms with each other, whatever our differences, believing that the God who brought us together in one entity called Nigeria, was not mistaken.

"If we can avoid avarice, greed and ethnic irredentism, we will go a long way in building that nation which guarantees equal opportunity for all. This is the Nigeria whose fathers founders dreamed of and fought valiantly for. Let us first give our country the love it needs, and in return it will surely provide us with the opportunities we desire.

“I firmly believe that Nigeria still holds strong promise and can yet become that great nation that we will all be proud of. 'to be patriotic, to love one another, to love our country and to do only those things which promote the unity and development of Nigeria, even the sky cannot limit the height to which we will rise. , our destiny is in our hands, that is, in the hands of the leaders and the followers.

"It is no coincidence that Nigeria has survived many seemingly intractable challenges, including a civil war, and continues to go from strength to strength. Surely there is the hand of God in this. A nation that has been through these adversities and who is still standing cannot afford to make a second mistake. History will not forgive us if we do.

"Over the past week, in churches and mosques across the country, we have been praying for peace and unity and imploring God to continue to bless and protect Nigeria and Nigerians. But we must also put our hands in the plow to make sure that Nigeria works for all of us. After all, faith without work is worth nothing. When we remember the exceptional qualities that defined our founding fathers as exceptional statesmen, the need for our current leaders to demonstrate an unwavering sense of patriotism and nationalism will not be compromised.

"This is the least expected of us as leaders. Our ancestors actually sacrificed a lot for this country and some even paid the ultimate price in building a strong nation and unity they bequeathed to us. Sadly, few of our current leaders are willing to emulate them. Sadly, some of us have become glorified ethnic and religious champions.

"Rather than striving to do the things that unite us, some leaders now prefer to widen our fault lines and have ended up dividing the country even further. These leaders need to rethink their...