Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State has appealed to Nigerians to imbibe a nationalistic spirit and work for the oneness and development of the country.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, the governor made the appeal when traditional rulers from across the federation paid him a courtesy call at the Government House, Owerri.
Okorocha reaffirmed his faith in the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria.
He, however, regretted that his firm belief in the unity of Nigeria had always been misinterpreted by his political opponents in order to discredit him.
He said that having been born Igbo, raised in the North and empowered by the West, he had strong reason to believe in the country and its unity.
The spokesman for the monarchs, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ojaja II, said the group was aware of the political tension in the country, hence its resolve to intervene in restoring stability in the polity.
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The monarch said that they were poised to join efforts with other segments of the nation in fostering unity and peaceful coexistence among the various tribes in the country.
He assured the governor that they would continue to support all “acts of governance in the county.”
He also said that they would sustain their campaign for peace and unity in the country “regardless or our political, tribal or religious differences.”
The monarch said: “What we are known for as traditional rulers is to foster unity and peaceful co-existence across the entire country, Nigeria.
“We are aware of the political tension across the country and we are here to make a statement that we all belong to Nigeria and Nigeria is greater than all of us.
“We are here again to take this campaign further and, as traditional rulers, we should wake up from our slumber.
“We should continue to support governance and all the acts of governance in this country.”
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The Ooni assured Nigerians, particularly the South-East zone, that there would be “all inclusive initiatives to carry everybody across all the various geo-political zones along.
“We only know unity in the traditional institution in Nigeria and that is what we want to foster in the nation.
“We will continue to move across the length and breadth of this nation to promote peace, irrespective of political or religious differences inherent in those states,” he said.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the monarchs, who were in Imo State for the post-election peace summit, included the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, Ooni of Ife, Obi of Onitsha, Prof. Alfred Achebe, Obong of Calabar, Ediden Abasi, Etsu of Nupe, Alhaji Valiya Abubakar, among others. (NAN)
