Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State has identified wanton insecurity in the country as a threat to unity and oneness, urging Nigerians to liberate themselves from the scourge. This is even as his Delta State counterpart, Dr. Uduaghan, charged Nigerians to rekindle the bond of unity, peaceful co-existence and tolerance for one another. Both governors spoke today during events marking Nigeria’s 53rd Independence Anniversary.

Speaking at Uyo Sports Stadium in the Akwa Ibom State capital, Chief Akpabio said: “We must liberate ourselves from the wanton insecurity, which has become a threat to our unity and oneness. Violence is not a part of our national fabric; neither did it form part of our noble and dignified struggle for independence.

“I urge Nigerians everywhere to still the jarring sounds of bombs with harmonious songs of unity. Tears have no colour or tribe or ethnic group. When someone is killed or bombed in Kaduna, we cry in Akwa Ibom. Not because we know who is killed but because we are involved in humanity and one man’s pain is another man’s tears.”

The governor noted: “Unity is our only pathway to a great nation. An old man who had three contentious sons invited them to his deathbed. He gave each of them a broomstick to break and each broke it easily. Then he gave each of them the entire broom to break and none of them could break it. He sighed and said to them, ‘Together, no one shall be able to break you, but separated you are vulnerable.’

“To do this, we need to build a Nigerian community founded on firm foundations of unity. We need to re-write the Nigerian story, which has been soiled by avarice, jealousy, nepotism and ethnicity. We need to write a new strategic national narrative founded on the faith that we have all the elements needed to turn our nation into one of the greatest nations on earth.”

Akpabio pledged his support for Nigeria’s President, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, saying: “He has shown exemplary leadership in power, gas, agriculture, infrastructure, gender and institutional reforms. He has set our country in the path of reform and transformation. Let us keep him in our thoughts and prayers.”

And in Asaba, capital of Delta State, Governor Uduaghan declared that rekindling the bond of unity, peaceful co-existence and tolerance for one another is the sure way to ensure sustainable growth and development of the country.

“In our daily activities, utterances, and interactions, we should positively impact on the unity and peaceful co-existence of the nation. We should show greater tolerance for views which are diametrically opposed to ours and allow democratic ethos inform our actions for the greater good of the greatest number of our people,” he stated.

While acknowledging the various challenges facing the nation, Governor Uduaghan called for prayers and absolute commitment to the nation’s ideals so as to ensure sustainable development stating that “no nation can develop in an atmosphere of chaos and anarchy.”

The governor, who lamented the recent inexplicable and mindless killing of school children in Yobe State, condoled the bereaved families and called for vigilance on the part of all Nigerians to avoid the re-occurrence of such incidents.

While reiterating the improvement in the security situation and the decline in the activities of kidnappers in the state, Dr. Uduaghan enjoined Nigerians especially Deltans to be security-conscious and avoid being accessories to the facts of crime.

He called on them to condemn the exploits of criminals and their cohorts in their areas and cooperate with security agencies to fish out criminals in their midst.

The governor said the state government was committed to promoting Public-Private Partnership in order to enhance prosperity through economic development adding: “I am delighted that the development profile of the state is on the rise. This administration will complete all on-going projects; we will not shirk in our responsibilities to Deltans.”

Dr. Uduaghan said that his government has spent a lot of resources towards improving basic infrastructure, education; health and transport sectors and urged the private sector to take advantage of the favourable business climate by engaging in productive ventures so as to create gainful employment for the youths and enhance overall development of the state.

He congratulated President Jonathan for his transformational agenda and effort in sustaining the nation’s democracy and assured him of the state’s continuous support for his policies and programmes.

He commended the security agencies for maintaining peace and security in the state and appealed to Deltans to co-operate with them in ensuring that the state was completely rid of crime.

The governor also commended the contributions of traditional, community and religious leaders towards the maintenance of peace and security and the realization of the “Delta Beyond Oil” initiative.

He appreciated the cordial working relationship among the various arms of government in the state explaining that they are committed to ensuring equity, fairness and justice in the governance of the state.

Speaking further, Dr. Uduaghan paid glowing tribute to past and present leaders whose foresight and sacrifices won independence for the country and for all Nigerians who has sacrificed their quota to ensure that the country remained united.

Highpoints of the celebration was the cutting of the anniversary cake, cultural display and march past by students and pupils from various schools, youth/voluntary and women organisations in the state.

•Photo shows Akpabio and Uduaghan.