President Goodluck Jonathan has urged Nigerians to promote national integration, as part of efforts to enhance national development.
The president made the appeal, on Tuesday, while speaking at an international colloquium organised to mark the 80th birthday of Dr Alex Ekwueme, a former Vice-President.
Jonathan, who was represented by Anyim Pius, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), said national integration is the foundation upon which a federal arrangement can stand.
“Without national integration there will be mutual distrust and once there is mutual distrust nothing will work. We have to resolve first and foremost that we want Nigeria as the all and all for all of us; we must commit to it and patriotically nurture its progress,” he said.
“Without such resolution, there is no federal structure that can work, there is no democratic system that can work, national development will as well be missing.?
Jonathan stressed that once Nigerians were able to demonstrate true patriotism in all their activities, all other hindrances would give way for national progress.
The president, nonetheless, pledged the determination of his administration to foster the country?s development through the execution of policies and programmes that have direct bearing on the lives of the people.
Jonathan described Ekwueme as ?a great man, a father of democracy and the leading light of our time?.
In his opening remark, a former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, described Ekwueme as ?a brilliant politician and a consensus builder”.
?As an architect, he distinguished himself as the designer of several public and private monuments spread across the length and breadth of Nigeria, some of which include Federal Government colleges or unity schools,? he said.
He said that Nigeria needed a veritable platform provided by the birthday of an elder statesman such as Ekweme to examine the way forward.
In his speech, Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State described Ekwueme?s brand of politics as the hallmark of a great statesman.
He, nonetheless, disagreed with Ekwueme?s proposal on the adoption of a political structure involving six-geopolitical zones in the constitution amendment.
?As far as the proposal for the six geopolitical zones goes, I regret that I am unable to work in the same company of our very imminent celebrant,” the governor said.
“In my view, if we are to accept this argument and create six political zones, it will mean that we will have to find personnel to help the zones and create responsibilities for them. Will this not be an invitation to go back to the regions?”
