TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola has charged Nigerians to rededicate themselves to the unity, peace and security of the nation.
He said the country’s oneness must not be compromised for anything, regardless of ethno-religious and political differences.
Oyetola urged the citizens to embrace things that are capable of strengthening the existing unity in diversity.
The governor gave the charge on Monday at the grand finale of the 1443 AH Hijrah celebrations organised by the Osun Muslim Community in collaboration with the State Government held at Community Secretariat, Ringroad, Osogbo.
Oyetola urged citizens to always propagate good virtues, promote love, brotherliness, tolerance and peaceful coexistence and have no recourse to geographical, ethnic or religious boundaries in the interest of peace and development.
He appealed to Nigerians, particularly Muslim faithful, to take advantage of the Hijrah celebration to offer prayers for the peace, progress and sustainable development of Nigeria.
Represented by his Deputy Chief of Staff, Prince Abdulah Binuyo, Oyetola bemoaned the pocket of challenges facing the country, and said that with divine prayers, collective will and determination, Nigerians would overcome.
He said the time had come for the citizens to pursue goals capable of setting the country on the path of greatness and socioeconomic turnaround as envisioned by the nation’s founding fathers.
Every citizen must strive hard to be ambassadors of harmony and peaceful coexistence, he noted, and urged people to reflect the virtues in their daily conducts and interactions with one another, as preached by the three most popular faiths in the state.
In his lecture, the Vice Chancellor, Fountain University, Osogbo, Prof. Ahmeed Sanni, identified nemployment, illiteracy, insecurity and poverty as the bane of Nigeria’s socioeconomic progress.
He advocated equity, fairness, justice and fear of God as panacea for the nation’s development.
He said, “The issue of security is very key and important. We must ensure safety for all and be our brothers’ keepers. We must make efforts to protect our souls and the souls of others. Let us take the issue of security as a common property.
“The issue of security is not a thing that must be left for government, it is a duty of all. We must strive to strengthen the security. Though the primary assignment of government is to ensure the security of lives and property, but yet, we must support Government to achieve this.
“I urge the governments not to relent in their efforts to protect the people and provide employment opportunities for the citizens, particularly the youth.
“Our education curricular must be reviewed to cater for the need of the citizens in such a way that they will be self-employed and financially independent.”
