• Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Jobs
  • Food
  • Health
  • Classified
  • Faith
Friday, February 26, 2021
Everyday.NG
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Jobs
  • Food
  • Health
  • Classified
  • Faith
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Jobs
  • Food
  • Health
  • Classified
  • Faith
No Result
View All Result
Everyday.NG
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Ekweremadu: Diversity not our Problem

Admin by Admin
13 April 2018
in News
0
Emulate Jonathan if you lose, Ekweremadu tells Buhari, as he laments over Africa’s sit-tight leaders
0
SHARES
8
VIEWS
Share on WhatsappShare on FacebookShare on Twitter

The Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, has faulted the notion that Nigeria’s diversity is the cause of her internal divisiveness and wrangling.

He said the blame for the problems associated with the nation’s diversity should go to Nigerians, especially the nation’s leaders over the years.

Ekweremadu made the submission in Abuja while speaking at the first Isawa Elaigwu Foundation Annual Distinguished Lecture themed “Federalism, Diversity, and Nation-Building: Tackling the Challenges of integration in Nigeria”.

The Senator said it was sad that decades after Nigeria’s independence and the civil war, “the crisis of identity, ethno-religious squabbles, debilitating nepotism, pampering and promotion of mediocrity, sectional segregation, and other factors that were responsible for the war have persisted”.

He also blamed military incursions into the country’s politics for the seeds of discord and distortion of Nigeria’s federal structure, which now left Nigeria a Federal Republic in name, but a Unitary Republic in practice.

“The results of all the military adventures are structural imbalance, resource capture through the destruction of the principle of fiscal federalism, centralisation of the police system, and inequity in the distribution of opportunities”, he said.

Ekweremadu urged the nation to learn from the United States of America, which, according to her former Vice President, Joe Biden, took a vast continent and diverse people and moulded them into a united representative of democracy, where people see themselves as Americans first.

“Moving forward, we have to accept the reality of our diversity. Since we cannot run away from that we are diverse, we must take urgent steps to salvage the nation and manage our diversity better for effective nation-building as many other nations have done.

“During his second term bid in 1864 in the last days of the American civil war, Abraham Lincoln dropped his Vice President, Hannibal Hamlin, a fellow Republican. He settled for Andrew Johnson, who was not only from Tennessee, one of the Confederate States that opposed the Union, but also a Democrat as his running mate. Magnanimous in a virtually achieved victory, Lincoln wanted to rebuild trust and unity, ensuring that every American was given a sense of belonging, irrespective of the side he or she belonged to in the bloody war.

“The current and first female President of Singapore, Halimah Yacob, is of Malay origin, a minority race in the country. Chinese constitute over 75% of Singaporean population, while Indians and Malays account for much of the rest.

“Therefore, our diversity is not our problem in the real sense. We are instead the problem of our diversity. We can leave together despite our challenges. We can forge a tightly knit union where no man feels oppressed. It only requires the political will to build a just and an equitable society to give every constituent part a sense of belonging”, he said.

The Senator, however, insisted that not much could be achieved without an overhaul of the nation’s federalism.

“An overhaul of our federalism is at the heart of rebuilding Nigeria for equity, justice, and prosperity. If we restructure, the federating units will become the centres of development again, with little emphasis and pressure on the federal government.

“If we restructure the security system, the constituent parts will take charge of their internal security alongside the federal police.

“If we reintroduce fiscal federalism, no people will feel robbed or cheated of their resources; every constituent part will earn its living. The best will be allowed to excel since only the best can increase productivity. As is the case in Canada, less endowed states will benefit from Equity Fund to ensure even development”, Ekweremadu stressed.

ADVERTISEMENT
Previous Post

NEMA Spent N400M on demurrage to clear 50 percent of China Rice Gift to IDPs – DG says

Next Post

Saraki Seeks Reform Of the International Criminal Court

Admin

Admin

Next Post
Fireworks as Senator says Buhari is incompetent over handling herders /farmers clashes

Saraki Seeks Reform Of the International Criminal Court

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
UN says US bigger killer of Afghan civilians than Taliban

(Viral video) Is this frightening message for the whole world or America?

7 July 2020

Woman raped by herdsmen In Anambra dies; as viral video, incessant rape builds tension

1 July 2020

(Interview) Gideon Para-Mallam insists Presidency got it wrong on CAN, praises Kukah

11 January 2020

Scandalous video on Success school; govt sacks head-teacher as girl gets help

20 March 2019
“Devaan says,” debuts….I was deceived, what do I do?

“Devaan says,” debuts….I was deceived, what do I do?

6
Restructuring: why it won’t work here

Restructuring: why it won’t work here

3
Diary of an angry and frustrated graduate

Diary of an angry and frustrated graduate

3
Govt, Christian bodies meet over controversial school curriculum

Govt, Christian bodies meet over controversial school curriculum

2
Federal High Court Chief Judge, Tsoho Mourns, as his immediate predecessor, Justice Kafarati, dies

Federal High Court Chief Judge, Tsoho Mourns, as his immediate predecessor, Justice Kafarati, dies

26 February 2021
Abuja house that runs solely on solar power…for  three years

How FG, with banks, are providing off-grid power supply to 25 million Nigerians

26 February 2021
INEC declares Zamfara PDP candidates winners of elections

Zamfara Confirms Abduction, Says Only 54 Students Escaped

26 February 2021

Videos: Banditry, negotiations: two thought-provoking videos

26 February 2021

Recent News

Federal High Court Chief Judge, Tsoho Mourns, as his immediate predecessor, Justice Kafarati, dies

Federal High Court Chief Judge, Tsoho Mourns, as his immediate predecessor, Justice Kafarati, dies

26 February 2021
Abuja house that runs solely on solar power…for  three years

How FG, with banks, are providing off-grid power supply to 25 million Nigerians

26 February 2021
INEC declares Zamfara PDP candidates winners of elections

Zamfara Confirms Abduction, Says Only 54 Students Escaped

26 February 2021

Videos: Banditry, negotiations: two thought-provoking videos

26 February 2021

Contact us

Everyday.NG

Do you have information, advertisement, event, report, video, or article to share? Please reach Nigeria Everyday (www.everyday.ng) through:
Tel. +234 8022198060
WhatsApp +234 8022198060
Email: info@everyday.ng; matsilas@gmail.com.

Please note that all articles tagged ‘Opinion’ do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Nigeria Everyday (www.everyday.ng), they are the views and position of the writer

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Agriculture
  • Business
  • Classified
  • Culture
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Faith
  • Features
  • Food
  • Health
  • Jobs
  • News
  • Obituary
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Social Media
  • Sports
  • Uncategorized

Recent News

Federal High Court Chief Judge, Tsoho Mourns, as his immediate predecessor, Justice Kafarati, dies

Federal High Court Chief Judge, Tsoho Mourns, as his immediate predecessor, Justice Kafarati, dies

26 February 2021
Abuja house that runs solely on solar power…for  three years

How FG, with banks, are providing off-grid power supply to 25 million Nigerians

26 February 2021
  • Privacy Policy

© 2019 Nigeria Everyday - Truth Begets Freedom

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Jobs
  • Food
  • Health
  • Classified
  • Faith

© 2019 Nigeria Everyday - Truth Begets Freedom