The Chief Executive Officer of the Air Peace Airline, Barrister Allen IfechukwuOnyema has on Friday urged Nigerians to start harnessing the positive attribute of the country’s divergent for growth rather than discriminate against ethnicity.
Onyema stated this while delivering the lecture themed“Servant Leadership: NIGERIA AND THE RISE AND RISE OF ETHNIC NATIONALISM” at the university of Ibadan during the 2nd stanza of 2019 Alumni lecture organized by the University of Ibadan Alumni Association, UI chapter.
The Barrister who explained that the country has a total number of 378 ethnic nationalities stated that the inability to live beyond those fetishes of ethnicity is one of the challenges facing the country.
Noting that the topic is of utmost importance to the growth of the country, he said “This kind of diversity is supposed to be a kind of blessing to the country, because in diversity what we mean is that we take the positive attribute from the constraint embedding nationality and bring to the table of the government that conduct it. for instance, if you take only from me, you have one attributes but if we take from 200 people then we have 200 attributes that can be harnessed.”
He noted that the problems of ethnic nationalism could be traced into Nigeria independence to some extent.
“if we say that the history of ethnic nationalism started with independence of Nigeria, yes but to some extent, but our forefathers earlier fears, the moment their fears were doused they decided to come together, but the truth is that from 1960 to this moment, this situation has not been able to grow the nation’s role because of the vestiges of the things we do and our inability to achieve conventions amongst the 378 nationalities we have in this country.”
“If we say in the 60’s or the early 60’s, these issues were not as pronounced as now then we need to remember some issues also led to the civil war and what will be after we might have learnt our lessons that we are still trending on the same path, very inominous path, for how long are we going to be selling ‘oh Nigerians have great potentials, great potentials to be a super power, a leader of Africa. Is it when Jesus comes?”
He stated that the citizens try to ethicize everything they do and if the discrimination against ethnic continue, then the country can not grow as a whole as the growth will remain stagnant.
“There is not supposed to be discrimination within the ethnic in Nigeria, every body wants to go to America because they have harnessed their diversity, we are struggling to go get their diversity visa, once they get the visa they are proud to profess and mouth their nationality, meanwhile the country could be better than it is in term of composition we have in this country, with 378 ethnic nationalities we could be greater.”
“We must begin to promote oneness in a multi-cultural Nigeria, we must begin to promote nationalism in a multi-cultural sector, because if everybody tries to promote his or her own ethnicity in a multi-cultural place then that is a reason for disaster because hands will be bumping each other.”
On how to grow out of ethnic nationalism, Onyema said that there is need for the citizen to challenge themselves by not treating people based on their ethnicity.
“In your little space start giving other Nigerians around you a chance other than people from your ethnicity, start in your own little space to try trusting them.”
Onyema added that every citizen must behave like Africans, show respect to constituted authorities and elders, not insult anybody and to learn how to live about their respective efficacy.
The Barrister however called on the citizens to rise up and start building new Nigeria they will be proud of, a new Nigeria that will hate ethnicity with everything it has got, promote merit, provide peace, be willing to help the helpless, fight for each other and not against each other as that will be the solution to putting a stop to the rise and rise of ethnic nationalism.
He equally urged students never to allow anybody use them to destabilize and cause violence of any sort for their country.
“If anybody tell you to get involve in violence, the person has no respect for your humanity, the person is looking at you as less than human, like someone to be sacrificed. When someone wants to pay you to engender violence tell the person to bring his son to join you in doing those things, they want you to do. We must seek peace in our nation at all times.”
The lecture had in attendance The Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics, Professor Adebola Ekanola, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Administration, Professor Kayode Adebowale, Dean Faculty of Law, Professor AdesuyiOlatunbosun, Former President of UI Alumni Association (2008-2012) Mr Hyacinth A. Kyaagba, Former SSG to Niger State Government, Professor Kuta Yahaya, DVC Ekenwan, University of Benin, Professor Joel O. Aboalagba, policy makers, captains of Industries, Head of Organizations, CEOs, stakeholders, the academia, UI Alumni Association members, students among others.
It is pertinent to note that before the close of the event, Barrister Allen IfechukwuOnyema was awarded ‘The Most Distinguished Alumnus’ by the association in recognition of his invaluable contribution to the growth of the nation and humanity.