By Aiyeku Timothy
A former Imo State governor and Senator representing Imo West Senatorial district, Rochas Anayo Okorocha, has blamed the disunity amongst Nigerians for the sustained activities of Boko Haram insurgents in the country.
Okorocha, who spoke in Abuja, said he noted that the insurgents were less than 10,000 but have held over 200 million Nigerians because of disunity and the lack of belief in the Nigeria project by some leaders.
According to him, some political leaders are being hypocritical about unity as their lips service has not translated into the unity that would have progressed the nation.
Okorocha who sponsored “National Unity Bill”, said he observed a widening division among Nigerians, the reason he said, would be cured by the bill which has passed second reading already.
“The national unity Bill which I have proposed and even passed through first reading is to address the unity of this country. We all claim that Nigeria is passing a critical time and the point there is that ethnicity, religion, and political inclination is dividing this country beyond recognition and that is why we cannot work as a team.
“That is why we found it difficult to deal with issues of banditry, Boko Haram, kidnappers and others.
“Nigeria’s unity is still undergoing its fabrication. That is why this bill is seeking for national unity. We celebrate independence day, because we assumed that we are free from colonial masters. We have not actually celebrated our unity.
“Since amalgamation in 1914, of the North and South, we never call a day to celebrate our national unity and this gives room for every individual to feel that, I am Igbo, I am Hausa or Yoruba because of lack of national unity.
“Consider the fact that if we put the whole number of Boko Haram, bandits, kidnappers, the total is not up to 10,000 and how come they can chase 200 million people away? It is because the 10,000 of these elements are more united than us.
“So the national unity Bill will be a thing will unite us the more.
“Moreso, if we are in the chamber, we all talk about the progress of this nation, in one united body, but if we go to our constituencies, we will be telling our subjects how other tribes or ethnic group are marginalising us.
“This will further divide us as a nation; that is a wrong message for selfish political reasons; we lack the preaching of love among our people, instead, we stoke hatred among our people.
“In political parties, we lack what is meant to live by example. If you belong to a political party democratically, you consider others as enemies which is not supposed to be so, and it’s one of those things that made me to propose the bill.”
