By TONY NYONG

UYO — Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio has identified violence and insecurity as threats that might lead to the disintegration of the nation.

Akpabio, who made the observation during the grand finale of Nigeria’s 53rd independence anniversary, urged Nigerians to liberate themselves from the scourge.

He said: “We must liberate ourselves from the wanton insecurity, which has become a threat to our unity and oneness.

“Violence is not a part of our national fabric; neither did it form part of our noble and dignified struggle for independence.

“I urge Nigerians to still the jarring sounds of bombs with harmonious songs of unity. Tears have no colour or tribe or ethnic group.

“When someone is killed or bombed in Kaduna, we cry in Akwa Ibom. Not because we know who is killed but because we are involved in humanity and one man’s pain is another man’s tears.

”Unity is our only pathway to a great nation. An old man who had three contentious sons invited them to his deathbed. He gave each of them a broomstick to break and each broke it easily.”

“Then he gave each of them the entire broom to break and none of them could break it. He sighed and said to them, ‘Together, no one shall be able to break you, but separated you are vulnerable.’

“To do this, we need to build a Nigerian community founded on firm foundations of unity. We need to re-write the Nigerian story, which has been soiled by avarice, jealousy, nepotism and ethnicity.

“We need to write a new strategic national narrative founded on the faith that we have all the elements needed to turn our nation into one of the greatest nations on earth.”

The governor pledged his support for Nigeria’s President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, saying the President had shown exemplary leadership in power, gas, agriculture, infrastructure, gender and institutional reforms.

“He has set our country in the path of reform and transformation. Let us keep him in our thoughts and prayers,” Governor Akpabio said.