Osinbajo hammers on Nigeria's unity at Murtala Muhammed Lecture
- Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has urged Nigerians to shun ethnic or religious biases
- Osinbajo expressed concern that the unity of Nigeria is fragile at the moment
- He advised religious and tribal leaders to be nationalistic in their outlook
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has urged Nigerian leaders to shun ethnic and religious biases in addressing national problems.
Osinbajo made the comment yesterday, February 13 at the 2017 Murtala Muhammed Memorial lecture in Abuja.
He lamented the fact that the spirit of the Nigerian project had degenerated to the extent that, “The first question we ask is not what is the worth of a man or a woman, or what he or she can do but where he or she is from or what religious label he is wearing.”
He added: “Their self-serving approach might maintain their relevance and control on their followers but it is nihilistic and ultimately destructive.”
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The theme of the event was “Humanitarian Crisis and Response in a plural society: what role for leadership”.
Osinbajo stated that Nigeria will realise her full potentials in terms of development only if leaders can rise above selfishness.
“Nigeria leadership has retreated in the last few years into parochial camps and tents. We short change ourselves preferring parochial labels to substance and worth,” the acting president said.
According to the acting president, Nigerians should emulate the legacy of the late General Muhammed, who even in his short reign, left indelible marks in the country.
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo says Nigeria will realise her full potentials in terms of development only if leaders can rise above selfishness.
On her part, the CEO of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation; Mrs Aisha Oyebode said she and her team are proud of the work they have put into the foundation.
‘’What started as a small idea among the family and friends of General Murtala Muhammed has blossomed into a phenomenal vehicle of impact,’’ she said.
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She stated that the foundation is one of the largest charitable organisations in Nigeria with operational offices in Lagos, Kano and Abuja and programmes across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
Mrs Oyebode used the opportunity to announce that she will be retiring as the CEO of the organisation to head the advisory board.
Oyebode was invited to join the women leadership board of the Women and Public Policy Programme, a research centre of the Harvard Kennedy School that specialises in gender research and outreach in December 2016.
The board consists of leaders in government, business and academia and Oyebode is one of the few Africans on the board.
Source: Legit.ng
