By Princess Simon (Bureau Chief, North-Central, north-central in Minna)
Former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalam Alhaji Abubakar, has urged Nigerians not to allow present-day challenges to divide the nation, rather such challenges should serve as a unifying factor to fight the country’s common enemy.
Abdusalam emphasized that for Nigerians, including those agitating for self-determination to heed the call for a one indivisible Nigeria, efforts must be made by the central government to ensure that equity, justice, and fairness rule in the affairs of the country.
Before his 1999 handover, General Abdulsalami said professionalism was already eroding the Nigerian Army, advising that such should not be an excuse not to ensure the restoration of peace and unity among Nigerians as well as professionalism in the military.
General Abdulsalami spoke to journalists at his hilltop residence in Minna, Niger state to mark Nigeria’s 61 independence anniversary celebration. He however expressed optimism that the numerous challenges facing Nigeria notwithstanding, ‘democracy is on course’.
Every country, developed and developing according to the former President, have had their own challenges before attaining desired status hence the need for Nigerians to eschew bitterness and embrace peace, no matter the current challenges confronting the nation.
The former President attributed the agitation for self-determination by some of the sections of Nigeria to the perception of exclusion in the sphere of things including governance as well as giving more relevance to states than the central government.
Agitation to opt out of the union over what should ordinarily be handled through dialogue, he said, should not have been the situation in Nigeria. He therefore enjoined the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to ‘carry everybody along in terms of governance and political appointments’.
Abdulsalami who said he grew up seeing colonial masters initiate policies for their betterment and not for countries they colonized, however, blamed the colonial masters for looting the country’s treasury, stating that the impact of their activities is still being felt today.
“My generation grew up under colonial rule. And we saw how colonial masters siphoned our treasury and whatever out of Nigeria. Even the rail and road system they claimed to have created was in order to cart away what they could to the seaports and export it”, he said.
General Abdulsalami Abubakar said he was never pressurized to hand over to a democratically elected government in 1999 but did so in fulfillment of what 'people never expected in which I was satisfied to achieve’.
Before handing over in 1999, the military professionalism was being eroded, insisting however that they did not destroy the country hence the need to restore the unity of Nigeria and professionalism in the military.
On the security challenges, the former President wants the federal government to strengthen the security forces; recruit more personnel, and adequately equip them to enable them to confront the diverse criminal elements and protect the lives and properties of the Nigerian citizens.
“More could be done, by strengthening our security forces, by increasing the number of people who are involved in the security detail. That means there should be more recruitment into the security forces and equipping them adequately so that they could face the challenge of providing security of life and property in the country”.
He berated the colonial masters for siphoning Nigerian natural resources to build their nations over the years before Nigerian independence. He added that Nigeria went wrong to have abandoned Agriculture being her first source of revenue before the discovery of crude oil.
On Nigeria's debt profile, the former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar, called for the concerns of all well-meaning Nigerians and also advised that loans should be judiciously utilized for its purpose to enhance the all-round development of Nigeria as the challenges facing the country are surmountable.
General Abubakar also urged Nigerians to ensure patriotism by avoiding divisive comments. According to him, speaking for one's country is one of the hallmarks of patriotism, which he said can be achieved by avoiding the evils of ethnicity and religious bigotry as currently being experienced.
He called for the sustenance of the NYSC scheme and as well as the restoration of MAMSA, NOA which will educate and enlightened the masses on governments’ efforts, activities, and achievements in all spheres of national development.
General Abubakar however maintained that Nigeria has come a long way and can not afford to break up with her over 250 ethnic groups each yearning for a place in governance. He said the nation's unity in diversity was eroded with the advent of Boko Haram, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, secessionist agitation among others. He stated that everybody must be involved in tackling insecurity in the country, insisting that the country is worth celebrating at today's 61st Independent Anniversary.
While felicitating with Nigeria @ 61, Abdusalami Abubakar called for the celebration of the nation's founding fathers and leaders, who, in one way or the other, had contributed their quota to the growth and development of Nigeria despite our peculiar challenges.
Abdulasami also enjoined the media in Nigeria to "avoid castigating Nigerian leaders. Nation-building, he said, is a tremendous task that needed the support of every citizen to achieve her greatness”.
He, therefore, advised the media to ensure fair reportage of government activities, while carrying out its watchdog mandate. He the media to not only criticize but also proffer solutions and applaud government when necessary in their write-ups. NNL.