Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says the elites in any society must be prepared to make the sacrifices for the benefit of the people.
Prof. Osinbajo said this Thursday as Special Guest of Honour at the “Nigeria at 62 Independence Day Anniversary Public Lecture” held at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja,
He said there must be a deliberate effort to create unity, with equity, justice, the rule of law, accountability as components to build a successful society and nation.
He said: “The story of successful societies is quite simple. It is usually the story of how the society’s elite – its best educated, its political, religious class, influence, direct and lead their societies to progress.
“Put differently, every successful society is the product of a conscious, elite consensus: the implicit and explicit agreements of the elite to change their societies for good. But the elite must be prepared to make the sacrifices for the benefit of everyone….
“When we give ourselves slots, it is because we are not prepared to make the sacrifice that will enable the young people to say, I belong to a country where there is equal opportunity. But we want these young people to believe in the country. We want them to believe that they belong to a country. We want a united country, but we are not prepared to make the sacrifice that is required.”
He added that because of the urge to maximise so-called elites’ rights and privileges by some, the basis of national unity and equal opportunity was jeopardized.
According to him, even though elitism confers privilege, that privilege also comes with responsibility.
The guest lecturer at the event was the former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi, who spoke on the topic, Elites and National Unity.
In his lecture, Prof. Afolabi noted what he described as the “immense responsibility of the Nigerian elite” in resolving the country’s challenges, fostering national unity and development.
In another development, the Vice President later commissioned the new Secretariat of the Nigerian Governors Forum in Abuja, at an event where he represented the President.
The complex located at the Maitama area of the Federal Capital Territory will house offices for the chairman of the forum, the Director General as well as staff of the secretariat.
Shortly after formal commissioning of the building, the Vice President undertook a tour.
Osinbajo’s spokesman Laolu Akande said those present at the event were the current chairman of the forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, and other former chairmen of the forum, Mr. Lucky Igbinedion of Edo; Senator Bukola Saraki of Kwara; and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers.
Current State Governors present included Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto; Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos; Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi; Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa; Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa; Muhammad Inuwa of Gombe; Bala Mohammed of Bauchi; Douye Diri of Bayelsa and Godwin Obaseki of Edo State. There were also the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Hadiza Balarabe; Moses Ekpo of Akwa Ibom and Mohammed Yakubu of Katsina.
