President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday said that the proposed national dialogue will help stop hates among youths instigated by some political elders by their comments in the Nigerian media.
This is even as he has said that the outcome and recommendations of the national dialogue will be passed to the National Assembly to aid the constitution amendment process.
He also noted that the convocation of a national dialogue was coming at a critical and right time when the National Assembly was thinking about constitutional amendment.
While chiding some political elders whose utterances instigate hates among Nigerian children, the President said the dialogue will ensure Nigerians talk with a direction and not dissension.
Jonathan gave this hint when he received a delegation of Muslims resident in the Federal Capital Territory led by Vice President Namadi Sambo, for the traditional Salleh homage at his official residence in the Presidential Villa.
While thanking God that despite the country’s numerous challenges God has made it possible for Nigerians to celebrate Sallah, the President assured of his administration’s commitment to leave to the next generation, a Nigeria devoid of hatred, killings, religious and ethnic intolerance and political instability.
He said, “We thank God that in spite of the challenges we are facing, we are celebrating. We have challenges but I’m glad that Allah made it possible for us to be here today. Other countries have had their own challenges. 53 years is a long period for an adult but as a nation, we are very young.
“That is why we are totally committed to do our best to ensure that we pass on to our young people that are coming up, a Nigeria that people will live in peace, a Nigeria that wherever you go, you call the next person your own brother or sister, a Nigeria that our young children who will become adults will say that I am proud to be a Nigerian. Not a Nigeria that people will kill them probably because they don’t recognise them. The killings that has been going on in some parts of the country has nothing to do with religion and ethnicity. That is why I asked those who killed those 50 students did they even bother about their religion our ethnicity? It has nothing to do with religion, it has nothing to do with ethnicity, it is because the world generally is experiencing terrorism.
“But in Nigeria, we must work very hard, we must talk to ourselves in a way that our children will not develop hate among themselves. And that is one of the key reasons that we decided to have a conversation as a nation”, he said.
The President expressed disgust over some comments credited to some political leaders in the country, saying it was disappointing that those who are supposed to give leadership are acting otherwise.
“At times when you listen to radio and read in the papers and you see sometimes, even our elders that are supposed to give us leadership quarrelling over nothing, sometimes even insulting themselves and even making provocative statements that will sometimes instigate one group against the other. We decided that we cannot continue that way, the talking must have a direction. What has been happening on the pages of the newspapers are discussions that have no direction.
“So we want a country that will have a direction. So the discussions must have a direction, the discussion must lead Nigeria to where we want to be, not a divided Nigeria, not a Nigeria that is sown on hate, not a Nigeria that will be based on acrimony, ethnicity and tribal sentiments in the way we conduct ourselves. That is the reason we set up that committee and we have given them the free will. Some people are still instigating others that the president is doing this, government does not have the capacity to do that. We are totally committed to doing what is right. We don’t need to carry cane to flog Nigerians to show that we are determined.
“Even the Justice Mohammed Uwais committee that was set up, that report was passed on to the National Assembly. In 2010, we brought Belgore and others and I said in 2005, Nigerians discussed some things why don’t we begin to implement some of them. So we need to come up with some bills in those areas we have agreed and we push it to the National Assembly. Of course some of those bills have not come out from the National Assembly but we believe that even in the constitutional amendment that is going on, some will be useful.
“And this national dialogue is even critical and is coming at the right time because the National Assembly is thinking about how they will amend the constitution. So, the results of the discussion of course, will be passed to the National Assembly.
“It’s only left for all of us who are Nigerians to impress it on our representatives, those in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly because our state and federal parliament must work together to ensure these are properly enshrined in our constitution so that as a nation we will handover a country that is better than what we have met to our children.
“I assure you that myself, the Vice President and our team will continue to do our best for Nigeria so that our children will be happy in the end”.
Earlier in his remarks on behalf of the delegation, Vice President Sambo, said the traditional Sallah homage was to congratulate the President on what he has been doing, leading to Nigerians witnessing political and social stability in the country.
He also commended Jonathan on his successful outing at this year’s United Nation’s General Assembly, stressing that his presentation was not just for Nigeria but for Africa.
Sambo attributed the victory of the Super Eagles over the Walya Antelopes of Ethiopia to the good luck President Jonathan took to them during his visit to their training camp.
The Vice President also commended President Jonathan for initiating the national dialogue, saying “you have given Nigerians another chance to sit and discuss issues”.
He said the delegation also condoled with Nigerians lost their lives during this period particularly, former PDP National Chairman, Solomon Lar, former governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Agagu, those that died in the Associated Airlines crash and those who died in senseless killings.
Sambo urged Nigerians to continue to pray for the President and the nation to witness peace. “They (Nigerians) should support President to deliver on transformation agenda that will transform the country.