Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that development in the country can be broken into segments, allowing each segment to grow at different paces.
The 2019 presidential candidate, under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) umbrella, stated this on Thursday in Abuja at a public presentation of a book edited by Dr. Chido Onumah themed, ‘Remaking Nigeria: Sixty Years, Sixty Voices’.
Atiku said that the country’s unity remained negotiable and that growth should not be delayed by “the centre or other segments”, as the relationships between Nigerians were not “fixed for eternity”.
“It is obvious that a country is not necessarily a nation; nationhood has to be forged through what we do as a country, and leadership is critical in the process of nation-building” Atiku noted.
“In my view, we must restructure our country in a manner that allows various segments to develop at their own pace and not be held back by the centre or other segments.
“Developed segments will spur development in other segments because what they do well will attract the attention of others.
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“That may make a Nigerian union more attractive and nation-building easier. Our poor nation-building record should not be an excuse for developmental inaction or backwardness.
“I find it amusing when people declare Nigeria’s unity as fixed and non-negotiable while doing everything in their power to destroy that fragile unity.
“Nothing in the relationships among peoples is fixed for eternity. You cannot declare your marriage as non-negotiable while doing everything to sow seeds of discord in that same marriage.
“There were deliberate attempts made since the 1960s to forge a nation out of Nigeria: states creation, federal character, the NYSC, power rotation, unity schools, and multiple federal agencies.
“However imperfect, these were genuine attempts at giving each segment of the country a sense of belonging and a semblance of justice and equity and promote interactions among our peoples.
“All it has taken is one administration in six short years to tear up the fabric of that unity and make more Nigerians lose faith in Nigeria and question the rationale for having one united country.”
