Nigeria’s unity not negotiable for personal gains — Obasanjo

Former president Olusegun Obasanjo has said that the unity of Nigeria cannot be negotiated for personal or individual interests.

He stated this while hosting the Editorial Board and Anniversary Planning Committee of Penpushing Media at his Presidential Library in Abeokuta residence, Ogun State at the weekend.

Obasanjo, according to a statement by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, also charged the media to always be objective and avoid reports that could plunge the nation into crisis.

He said Nigeria should see its ethnic and cultural diversity as a source of strength, adding that citizens should emphasize on the nation’s common identity, value and interest in order to achieve a great nation.

Obasanjo said nation building should be anchored “on the bedrock of what binds the various entities that make the nation together, strengthen and focus more on common identity, objective, values and interests.”

He, however tasked media practitioners to serve objectively and honestly and unite the people

The former president said: “The media is supposed to bind, not separate people, the people’s interest, opinion on security, national issues should be bound together as a nation where whatever happens in Badagry should concern someone in the North just because they are bound with one interest as a nation.”

Chairman, editorial board of Penpushing, Funke Fadugba, said their visit was to pay homage to the former president and intimate him of the organization’s upcoming anniversary lecture with the theme, “The Media and Quest for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions in Nigeria.”