Politics
SHARAFADEEN Alli, a former Secretary to Oyo State Government and Rep Shina Peller (APC-Iseyin/Iwajowa/Kajola/Itesiwaju), has urged Nigerians to be hopeful of a better country.
They made the call in separate statements made available to newsmen on Thursday in Ibadan.
Alli, the state governorship candidate for Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) in the 2019 general elections in Oyo State, urged the people of the state to continue praying for a state and Nigeria.
“Though Nigeria has yet to get to its desired destination, the people should be hopeful of a better future for the country,” he said.
Alli, the Ekefa Balogun of Ibadanland, urged Nigerians, especially those calling for secession, to consider the dreams of the nation’s founding fathers.
He said that this year’s celebrations, marking 60 years of self-rule, was an opportunity to bless Nigeria as a nation, rather than curse its existence.
According to him, “60 years of Nigeria’s independence will mark a great new beginning of hope, peace, prosperity, and abundance.
“Nigeria will be exalted; twill not fall; rather, it will excel and rise beyond the imagination of the world; it will be a pride to Africa and the world.
“All that we have lost will be restored; where we have failed, we will succeed.”
Alli particularly urged all Yoruba sons and daughters to see Nigeria as a blessing for greater future.
Also, Peller, in a statement issued by his Press Secretary, Kola Popoola, urged Nigerians not to give up on the country in spite of the challenges confronting it.
He maintained that the country’s strength was in her diversity, saying this should be leveraged on.
“I felicitate fellow compatriots on the occasion of Nigeria’s 60th independence anniversary, which is very significant to our existence as a sovereign nation.
“At 60, it is true that we are still confronted with so many challenges, such as insecurity, high rate of unemployment, economic volatility, corruption, and many others.
“We still have so much to be hopeful for as a country, especially our huge natural and human capital resource potentials and our ever-enduring, resilient and creative citizens.
“We must not give up on Nigeria; it is our country and nobody will come from outside to build it for us.
“We must do it ourselves, bearing in mind that we are a nation of huge potentials, notwithstanding our challenges,” he said.
“We should know that in our diversity lies our strength and so, we should leverage on this rather than allow it to tear us apart,” he said.
The lawmaker said that Nigerians shouldn’t forget that they were first Nigerians before being Muslims, Christians, Igbo, Hausa, Fulani or Yoruba.
Peller urged the political class to consider future generations when making decisions, saying that they should build a Nigeria that all would be very proud of.
According to him, “it is time for a paradigm shift. We need a new crop of leaders. That is why I actively support creative ideas like the Lead Generation Initiative (LGI).
“LGI is a non-governmental organisation committed to providing opportunities for a new generation of leaders for the purpose of rebuilding Nigeria through the next decade and beyond.
“More importantly, the youth need to get involved in politics right from the ward level up to the national level.
“We can’t continue to lament endlessly about the maladministration in our country. It is high time we took charge. We must be the change that we seek,” he said. (NAN)
– Oct. 1, 2020 @ 10:25 GMT |
Tags: Nigeria at 60: Alli Peller express hope for better Nigeria
