IN SEARH OF NATIONAL COHESION AND DEVELOPMENT

Captain Hosa’s maiden memorial lecture stirs the need for unity in diversity, write Ifetayo Adeniyi and Patrick Ochoga

There is no gainsaying that to a large extent our quest for national unity and development has been threatened by our multi-dimensional differences and diversity as a country.

Our diversity since Nigeria’s independence has equally been mismanaged by successive administrations over time and sadly, that has played a negative factor in fostering national unity among Nigerians.

 The lack of cohesion or oneness has also stunted our development which fuelled despondency and frustration across the land. Today, the privileged and the downtrodden are faced with a bleak future and fear of the unknown which has sparked national conversation on the need to redirect the nation on the path of growth and development.

The Capt Hosa memorial lecture as put together by the children came at a time when there is a need to re-echo issues that bind us together as a nation.

Hosa during his life sojourn on earth identified strongly towards the development of his fatherland owing to his love, passion and commitment to add value to the economic transformation of the country, which he did and left a lasting legacy worthy of emulation.

Expectedly, the occasion attracted the crème de la crème at a well decorated parked hall at the prestigious Well Carlton Hotel & Apartments.

Among the notable guests are former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan; former Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; Olu of Warri kingdom, His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse  III, and wife Olori Atuwatse III; Sen Dino Malaye; Dein of Agbor Benjamin Ikenchukwu; former minister of Education, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili and APC gubernatorial candidate for 2023 governorship election in Rivers State, Mr Tonye Cole.

Setting the tone for the event, former President Goodluck Jonathan traced some of what has become an albatross to our development to past leaders whom he posited were not nationalist, but regional champions. He charged Nigerians to be circumspect in the exercise of their voting rights, saying, “We must shift away from the politics of bread and butter.”

In what appears like a vain reference to exonerate the present leaders, the former president stated that they inherited a country that was already balkanised into three regions and later four regions. “I believe that the legacy of nationhood and roots of unity were weak at Nigeria’s independence and not much has been done since then to strengthen the base of the union.

“The decision to shift away from the regional arrangement to a national focus, where Nigerians will begin to see their country as their common heritage, needs a different orientation, planning, strategy and adaptation.

“My charge to Nigerians is to be circumspect in the exercise of their voting rights. We must shift away from the politics of bread and butter and ensure that we do not elect leaders that will buy our conscience today and mortgage the future of our children and grandchildren. We should endeavour to elect only those that will leave legacies of unity, peace and development.”

Continuing the former president contend, “I have seen people contend that the nation’s post-independence leaders invested more in nurturing their ethnic proclivities than they did in watering the tree of unity, patriotism and national pride. 

“While some people may not agree with this notion, I however believe that a heterogeneous country like Nigeria needs to have woven an acceptable mesh around its variegated population.

“That way, it will be able to harness and rally the fine points of its diversity for positive growth and development. Such a nation and its leaders, therefore, cannot afford to lay undue emphasis on its ethno-sectional coloration.

“I believe that even at independence the mismanagement of the spirit behind the three regions, North, East and Western region, and later Midwestern region ended up widening the cleavages that threaten national cohesion. This may have affected the kind of legacy left by our post-independence leaders, especially in managing our diverse tribes, tongues and faith.

“In Nigeria it is very common to hear scholars emphasise that Nigeria is not a nation. I believe that those who hold on to this position often cite the views of some of our leaders at independence, especially as some of the statements credited to them tended to have placed more premium on ethnic nationalities other than the nation called Nigeria. 

“However, as I pointed out earlier, many countries, like Nigeria, are made up of different cultural and linguistic nationalities. The difference is that while many of these countries have overcome the negative manifestations of undue ethnic glorification, Nigerians have continued to exalt ethnic nationality over and above the country.   

At the same event, a former Minister of Education, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili urged politicians to develop the education sector, which she lamented would continue to elude Nigeria and other African countries if the political class does not invest in education.

She said, “When you look at the parameters and issues in our country, especially the current data, it shows that the continent is in crisis and it has to deal with some of the things that the former President Jonathan said about society, it’s that nine out of every 10 Africans do not have the literacy and numeracy skills required of children of their age in other parts of the world.

In a similar vein, spokesperson for the Atiku presidential campaign, Dino Melaye, recalled how Capt. Hosa Okunbor, assisted him in the past. He described Jonathan as “the most productive immediate past President Nigeria ever had.”

Meanwhile, former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, said Jonathan left a lasting legacy that set a pedestal for his successors. He said, “Part of your legacy was when you launched the Almajiri School and your thought was that no Nigerian child should be left on the street and also appropriated special funds.”

In addition, the Olu of Warri and son-in-law of the deceased, Ogiame Atuwase III decried the glorification of stomach infrastructure in Nigeria’s political culture.

While lauding Jonathan for not upturning the presidential elections in 2015, the monarch decried the lack of trust in the country. He said, “As a nation, we are in a situation of raw survival which fosters an environment that escalates grievances and creates social chaos. And before we know it, we are in a culture of deception and there is no peace where there is no trust. And there is no trust where there is no truth in words, which is why it’s easy for not just politicians, anyone really to just say something and they don’t believe in what they are saying.”

And on behalf of late Captain Hosa Okunbo’s children, Olori Atuwatse III in keeping the lasting legacy left by her father unveiled “Hosa Wells Okunbo Foundation” which would focus on promoting Education, Entrepreneurship and Youth Empowerment regardless of your class, race, religion and political affiliation which would snowball to national cohesion and development.

Adeniyi and Ochonga write from Benin City