The Emir of Karshi in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Alhaji Samaila Mohammed, has advised secessionists agitating to break away from Nigeria to rethink, saying they will end up having weaker countries within the present nation should that happen.
Alhaji Mohammed said this in Abuja during a quarterly public lecture organised by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) with the theme: “Imperial Cultural Illusions, Delusions and Hallucinations: Major Sources of Africa’s Contemporary Development Crises”.
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The traditional ruler said the vast population and diversity of Nigeria remained great opportunities that must be harnessed for the good of all Nigerians instead of agitations for breakaway, adding that, “The bigger the better.”
He further said secessionists agitating for breakaway from Nigeria with hope of enjoying better nations would end up disappointed, noting that examples abound of countries that seceded only to be engaged in fierce internal wars and rivalries at the end of the day.
The guest lecturer and renowned Professor of History at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Sule Bello, said Nigeria’s over-dependence on the West and its culture for decades was greatly responsible for its underdevelopment, adding that the country must become truly independent by seeking original, creative and indigenous approaches of addressing its developmental issues.
Prof Bello said, “No development will be original if it’s not culturally anchored. We are talking about solving security problems, but there’s an extent to which we can solve those problems, because in many ways, our society and our economy tend to be dependent rather than being independent, and for all the things we need, we rely on others, and the day they say know, you can’t do that; your capacity to do things will diminish.”
He further said politicians must allow security agents unfettered powers to arrest and prosecute all those who engaged in criminal and corruptive activities without fear or favour if the country must overcome this menace plaguing the country.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Secretary of NICO, Mallam Ado Muhammad Yahuza, said the lecture series by the institute was conceptualised as a forum for intellectual discourse on culture to sensitise Nigerians on the strategic importance of culture in the promotion of good governance and democracy.
He said the institute would continue to collaborate with other agencies and organisations in actualising its mandate of cultural orientation to meet the challenges of social integration, unity, peaceful co-existence, self-reliance and national development.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who was represented at the occasion, commended the institute for consistently championing enlightenment campaigns of various facets of Nigeria’s culture to mobilise Nigerians towards ensuring that the people took pride in their culture.
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