Nigeria’s unity paramount, says Okogie

By Sam Eyoboka & Olayinka Latona

Worried by recent threats by certain individuals and predictions about the possibility of the disintegration of Nigeria, Catholic Archbishop of Lagos Metropolitan See, His Eminence, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, yesterday, said that the preservation of Nigeria’s unity cannot be compromised, warning agents of disunity to desist from fanning the ember of disintegration.

In his first public statement since returning to the country recently after a successful medical checkup abroad, the cleric in a statement by the Director of Social Communications, Rev. Msgr. Gabriel Osu, urged all Nigerians to be more patriotic and strive to preserve the unity of the nation by toeing the line of peace, especially at these troubled times.

Apparently referring to recent threats and comments by certain Nigerian individuals, including foreigners, on the likelihood of Nigeria disintegrating in the near future, Okogie said that no one can divide the country as it was divinely made by God.

“No one can divide Nigeria. The country is like the rock of Gibraltar; it was created by God through the instrumentality of the British colonial masters. Our diversity, either in tribe, ethnicity or religion, should serve as stabilizing factors that would make us strong and united. No one can destroy what God has built. Even the Bible and Qu’ran attest to this fact! I want to call on all agents of disunity, whoever they may be and at whatever guise, to desist forthwith from their evil machinations or face the wrought of the Almighty God.

“We have all it takes to be a great nation. We have no excuse for being where we are today. All we need is purposeful leadership, coupled with the fear of God to reposition Nigeria on the right track of global reckoning.
This is a big challenge to all our leaders and they must realise that they will all give account to God for how well or otherwise they utilize our abundant resources.”