……Can’t be considered a Nigerian
Senior Advocate of Nigeria and elder statesman, Prof. Francis Dike (SAN) has said that ahead of the commencement of political campaigns across the country, that any person campaigning on the basis of religion or ethnicity is a public enemy, who is apparently a stranger element, not knowing how backwards such divisive sentiments have taken Nigeria.
He said: “At this point in our national life, any person who campaigns for votes based on religious or ethnic bias, is an enemy of Nigeria and cannot be considered a Nigerian. A part of anything can never be the whole. We need only Nigerians to campaign.”
He added:”Everyone will agree that Nigeria is at its lowest ebb at home and abroad. Many Africans believe that Nigeria’s failure has impacted on Africans and even more the entire black race. We should be a highly esteemed and well regarded powerful black nation on earth.
Regrettably we failed ourselves, Africa and our youths who are probably the most brilliant, resourceful and self assured youths on the face of the earth, but are frustrated by inept and clueless governments.”
Prof. Dike maintained that Nigeria cannot come out of the woods if the citizens allow the same predilection and attitudes that railroaded her into the woods in 2023.
His words: “We cannot effect change in 2023 with the same outlook of verbal attacks on political opponents but must change by self awareness and diagnosing where we certainly went wrong. This must be issue based. A brainstorming for the solution to our many failures and which is motivated by awareness that we got it wrong all these years and the desire to leap forward on the path to recovery”.
The elder statesman stressed that there are critical questions any person genuinely campaigning for the good of Nigeria must ask himself and answer dispassionately.
He continued: “We must analyze why our youths are respected internationally where they excel in sports, medicine, science and arts, but not in Nigeria, their country.
“Why do they risk death to get out of Nigeria when every news page is filled with billions of Naira stolen from the exchequer?
“They should seek solutions by identifying the madness that has taken over Nigeria.
Ultimately, any person campaigning on tribal, religious or ethnicity basis cannot be regarded as Nigerian. A part of anything can never be the whole. We need only Nigerians to campaign.”
