Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has said his principal cannot afford to idle away while the nation disintegrates.
According to the presidential aide, many Nigerians, including the president, have had to pay personal sacrifices to keep the country as an indivisible entity.
Adesina, who played host to the Black Apple Media Group, a production outfit devoted to making movies and documentaries towards the promotion of unity and peaceful coexistence in Nigeria, on Friday in his office, noted that Nigerians ought to, in all ways and at all times, embark on activities that promote the oneness and unity of the country.
He went down memory lane, narrating how President Buhari trekked from the South-East to a place called Gakem near the Cameroon border, “all to keep Nigeria one. Do you think somebody like that will sit idle and let some people try to dismember the country?”
The presidential aide said while some of the patriots are still alive, those who fought the civil war, wouldn’t sit back idle and watch the country disintegrate.
“Our anthem says the labour of our heroes past can never be in vain. Those were the ones who have fought to keep Nigeria together,” he added.
According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari had always been committed to the unity of the country.
“By age 20, he joined the army, by 25, he was already at the civil war fighting for the unity of this country. Mr. President himself has always said that for three years that the war lasted, he was there throughout, he didn’t go for any break, he didn’t ask for any pass, he was at the war front,” Adesina said.
He also reminisced that during his school days, there was no division.
“When we were in school, it used to be Ife-Modakeke Students Union. They merged together, they had one group together, there was no difference, so when that war came, it was strange to us.
“We used to be one, that is how Nigeria was originally, and we didn’t know any difference. You are from here, you are from there, we were all together, all the ethnic groups in the country, there was no difference. To now see some things happening is confounding to us.
“That is why we must commend an initiative like this, anything that will promote unity, that will promote togetherness, that will show the evil of Fake News, Hate Speech is something that will be supported, so I want to assure you that as the Media Office of the President, we will support this initiative.
“All those who are trying to cause commotion, cause disunity, cause dismemberment, I think they just struggle in vain, it will not happen. Nigeria will be together. I want to thank you for coming and for this initiative and you can count on us for support,” he added.
