Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar said on Sunday that the Nigeria nation was too old and too big to fail saying the option out of the present agitations in the land was to restructure the country until it comes close to a country envisaged by the nation’s founding fathers.
In a statement he personally signed and made available to newsmen in Abuja, the former Vice President said Nigerians must realized that for every Atiku to be great, it must go through struggle, pointing out that Nigeria must also go through a phase of struggle and come out from it stronger than before.
The former Vice President commended the Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators for withdrawing their quit notice asking Northerners and south westerners in the region to vacate before October 1.
The statement reads: “Just as I commended Arewa Youths for listening to good counsel and withdrawing the ill advised quit notice to people of Igbo origin to leave the North before October 1 or face consequences, I similarly applaud Niger Delta youths for rescinding their counter quit notice to persons of Northern and Southwestern descent to quit the South South region.
“This news could not have come at a better time as when Nigeria defeated Cameroon 4-0. The Super Eagles scored four goals and none of those goals were scored in the name of Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba or indeed under the aegis of North or South. Each and every one of those goals was resoundingly for Nigeria.
“No one disowns a child when he or she is almost 60. Nigeria is too old and too big to fail. Instead of divisions, what we must do is restructure our Federation till it more closely resemble the almost perfect union that our Founding Fathers chiseled together at the various pre Independence conferences.
“There is enough in Nigeria for everyone’s need and to meet every bloc’s aspirations. What we need is not uniformity but harmony. Just like an orchestra, we may all sing differently, but when our voices are blended together, they give off a richer more melodious symphony than would ever have been possible if we were to sing individually.
“I urge all Nigerians to be hopeful. To be great, every nation must go through struggle. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, if you are going through struggles, keep going. We will go through and emerge better than before. This is my promise to Nigeria.”
