By Sunday Aborisade, Abuja
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has stressed the need for constant dialogue among the various ethnic nationalities in Nigeria as a means of taking the advantages of the country’s diversities.
Osinbajo gave the charge in Abuja Thursday night at the 10th anniversary of UFUK Dialogue Foundation, an organisation devoted to the promotion of dialogue and a culture of peaceful co-existence.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by the group’s media consultant, Olumide Bajulaiye, titled “Nigeria’s diversity is to be enjoyed and not weaponised – VP Osinabjo”
The vice-president, according to the statement, called for a sustained dialogue and negotiation among citizens while stating that the country’s diversity must be enjoyed instead of being weaponised.
He stressed the significance of a sustained dialogue in a multicultural society as Nigeria.
The vice-president noted that building a nation required leaders across every sphere of influence to sacrifice personal interest and achieve a consensus that guarantees a win-win for all.
He maintained that a sustained and productive nationhood would give access to diverse multi-ethnic strengths and provide opportunities to gain more from being together than otherwise.
He said: “It’s true that in the last two decades, we face severe threats to our mutual coexistence, violent extremism in the North-east has resulted in the destruction and unfortunate loss of lives of many, banditry and kidnappings has traumatised families.
“We have also seen secessionist agitations, especially in parts of the South and the East of Nigeria in particular, these affected and slow down economic activities in those parts of the region.”
He warned against the promotion of underlying issues that give rise to insecurity.
He admitted that there were no simple solutions to the challenges.
Osinbajo, however, maintained that the federal government would effectively bring its full power to bear in tackling insecurity and its threats to collective existence.
Clerics and other contributors at the event frowned on the ignorance of some youths who use religion to commit atrocities.
They wanted Nigerians to be open-minded irrespective of their faith and religion to promote peace in diversity.
UFUK Dialogue foundation, a non-governmental organisation, is dedicated to promoting dialogue and establishing mutual coexistence.
The group expressed the hope that Nigerians would continue to pursue peaceful coexistence to make the world a better place.
The group said it strongly believe that the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals were crucial and should be supported.
