2023: ‘We Must Shun Religion, Ethnicity, Turn by Turn Mentality’

Tyessi in Abuja

The Unity Schools Old Students’ Association (USOSA) has called on the electorates to shun religion, ethnicity, and turn by turn mentality in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

Speaking at its 39th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association in Abuja yesterday, an old boy and proprietor of Flight Training School, Capt. Ibrahim Mshelia, lamented that products of unity schools have failed the nation by not living up to the tenets of the establishment of the unity schools.

Mshelia said that the 2023 election would be a determining factor in correcting by upholding the pro-unity philosophy and ideology of the unity schools and moving to elect a leader that would do the job rather than voting according to the dictate of primordial sentiments.

He encouraged the products of the unity schools to go into politics and vie for positions with the intentions to create change.

He added that their voices would not be heard without their involvement in the country’s politics. 

Mshelia said: “The USOSA has failed the nation. The idea of unity schools is to unite Nigerians. First, you unite before you can have good governance. But what we’ve been having today is disunity and our coming together is to wake up, dust up and face realities.

“As you can see, there are so many of us now contesting and I keep saying it that if you do not join politics, there is no way you can be heard.

“We as a nation have accepted constitutional democracy, which is a beautiful thing. Therefore, once we are able to embrace power, we will be able to change things.

“So, the USOSA is expected to do this. We are detribalised and there’s no religion or ethnicity coming between us. We were taught to be Nigerians first before anything else.

“Without unity, nothing can happen. We need to wake up and see that unity is not by religion, tribe, expertise or turn by turn, but what you can do for the country.

“So the 2023 election is a determining factor. We all are bleeding whether in or outside government. The time now is to take the pro- unity philosophy and ideology and move forward and elect a leader that will do the job and without relying on primordial sentiments. Therefore, Nigeria must vote for credible candidates.” 

A Poet and Member of USOSA, Mr. Dike Chukwumerije, said that USOSA has the capacity to restore the already ravaged national unity, noting that Nigerian public educational system is still good despite lacking in ultramodern classrooms.

Chukwumerije said: “USOSA can if they remember the value of unity schools. Our education traditionally has been very good. Education is not all about ultra-modern classrooms, even though important, but we had good teachers and good education.

“Another thing education does for you is that it broadens your mind. It allows you understand that ideas define this world. You have to think something before you can see it. If you can think it, then it can be. All of these are important in moving the nation forward.

“Nations are not built by natural resources but by human resources and education is a premium resource and this is critical to the development of a nation.”

At the end of the meeting, Mr. Michael Magaji was elected as the new national president of USOSA.