Chinese Envoy Advocates Strong Party Ideology For Nigeria
Chairman of the Council of Elders, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, yesterday declared that Nigeria's unity remains non-negotiable.
He however urged political leaders to endeavour to be all-inclusive in their decision-making process.
Iwuanyanwu, who said this at the 3rd Igbo Nsukka Zik Annual Merit Award in Abuja with the theme: “Nigeria of our dreams: possibilities, challenges and realities”, stressed that secession is never an option.
His views were corroborated by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III and the widow of Nnamdi Azikiwe, Uche Azikiwe, at the event.
Others who also spoke at the gathering were former governor of Enugu State, Okwesilieze Owodo and Governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum.
Iwuanyanwu said, “Everybody is thinking of being large or big. Nigeria today is a large area of about 200 million people. Whatever you're doing, if you're a businessman then you have a market for 200 million people. Why do you want to break it and go to a smaller place? So, I think that all these people talking about secession should please think about it.”
The elder statesman who recalled that he fought in the Nigerian Civil War and got injured, said he suffered during the war adding that few people lost better things than himself.
On his part, the Sultan of Sokoto urged Nigerians and her leaders to emulate Azikiwe by ensuring that the pursuit of peace remains top on the list of national agenda.
He extolled the late nationalist for placing unity at the top of his priority for Nigeria.
"I call on my Igbo brothers and sisters, home and abroad, to emulate the good deeds of our father, he never fought for only the eastern part of the country but he was with everyone," he said.
Uche Azikiwe charged political leaders to preserve Nigeria’s unity. She added that the labour of past leaders should not be made futile.
She said her worry over happenings in the country, adding that her late
"An individual is planning to bring 30 young persons today. They called them "Area Boys (girls). I was impressed, because these people are used by politicians and if we have individuals doing this, such a person deserves support in whatever form to bring these people out from their situation.
"When I interviewed 12 persons on their understandings of what restructuring is all about, what I got was different from the 12 persons. Some said they wanted 3, 4 regions and some said they wanted 12 states. But, in all I got to understand that all they were asking for is devolution of power and this is not too much to ask for." husband treasured Nigeria so much that he would never say anything that will make Nigeria disintegrate.
Represented by his environment commissioner, Yerima Saleh, Governor Zulum said, "Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe was not only Zik of Nigeria but was Zik of Africa who was regarded as the chief inspirer of the young nationalists in the continent, where the first president of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah said in his autobiography that Zik inspired him.
"Zik of Africa acclimatisation in all parts of Africa has exemplified his virtues of indiscriminate treatment of all and sundry. Zik was born in Niger State in Zungeru and could speak the three major languages of the country fluently,” he said.
Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, has called for a strong political party for effective leadership to achieve Nigeria's developmental goals.
Cui spoke yesterday in Abuja at a roundtable to discuss “the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC): Outcomes and Significance for Nigeria and Africa".
The 20th National Congress of the CPC was held between October 16 and October 22, 2022 in Beijing, China to appraise the developmental strides of the country and plan for the next five years.
The roundtable was organised by the Centre for China Studies in collaboration with the Chinese Embassy in Abuja to draw lessons from the CPC as the mainstream party that transformed the fortunes of China to a great economic and manufacturing hub of the world today.
Cui said China had been able to attain its development strides and pull its over 1.4 billion population out of poverty under the CPC’s effective people’s policy.
He said that Nigeria can learn from China’s political ideology and let strong parties lead the country and ensure they implement their campaign programmes for the benefit of the people.