By Olasunkanmi Akoni

LAGOS—The United States of America has said it would continue to partner Nigeria to achieve peaceful co-existence and sustainable development, especially in the country’s drive towards attainment of enduring democracy.

Acting Consul-General of the United States Consulate in Nigeria, Mrs. Dehab Ghebreab, gave the assurance at a media conference shortly before the premiere of “Captive” at House on the Rock Cathedral in Lagos.

According to her, peace is not negotiable in any nation that aspires to achieve sustainable democracy and development.

Ghebreab said her country was in partnership with The Rock Cathedral to send a strong message that will change people’s lives.

“We are partnering on a theme to look at a purpose-driven life. The movie, Captive, shows how the struggle between hope and despair play out,’’ Ghebreab said.

The American diplomat reminded all that societies learned from each other, adding that in order to extend the American democracy beyond America, the Consulate decided to share that experience with Nigerians through Selma.

“It’s a long term commitment and that’s what we are doing today to send the message about a purpose-driven life which will help contribute to having a purpose-driven nation,’’ she said.

The host of the event and senior pastor of House on The Rock, Paul Adefarasin,  earlier spoke on the need for Nigerians to live a purpose-driven life.

He said Nigeria had in its 55 years of independence, faced a series of challenges such as oppressive regimes, misgovernance and now terrorism.

He said the country had, however, overcame most of the challenges that posed great threat to Nigerians in the past.

Adefarasin recalled that the public premiere of the movie, Selma, in the twilight of Nigeria’s general elections achieved a lot as it spoke to the subject of peace at a time it appeared that Nigeria was going to disintegrate.

He said the success of the movie might not have been seen in the physical, noting that several discerning Nigerians would agree that the peace enjoyed in the country today was soothing.

Adefarasin also said House on The Rock was working assiduously for the attainment of peace, noting that it was only a peaceful atmosphere that would bring about development in a country.

“Do we continue to view one another as different people? Do we accept that we are a united nation or do we insist that we are an amalgam of different nationalities?

Do we accept that we are Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri, Bini, Kalabari, Ibibio, Tiv, Birom, Idoma, Efik or the many more tribal distinctions that exist in our country or do we accept that we are simply and proudly Nigerians?’’

“All the great nations of our world today only became great because they purposed to do so as one people of one nation around an uncompromised system of shared values. Value systems that invariably included Equal Opportunity, Equity, Justice, Freedom, Peace, Progress and the Majority Principle,’’ he said.