By Paul Okade
One cannot ignore the reality of the tribal, religious
On the 1st of October 1979 President Olusegun
How does one even begin to unite a country with
Once again the man who saved the country in 1976
and ethnic divides which exist across our beloved
Nigeria. We call ourselves “Nigerians” in public, but
in private we retreat back into our ethnic enclaves and
speak about other Nigerians of differing ethnicities as
though they’re from another planet. Whilst the majority of Nigerians would never even contemplate the idea
of dissolution, voices still exist in our nation whose
prayers and wishes are centred around the division of
Nigeria. While their rationale for such a disposition
may well be valid, it isn’t the wish of the majority of
Nigerians who have embraced the idea of a united
Nigeria.
over 200 different ethnic groups and languages with
varying religious beliefs such as Islam, Christianity,
Traditional/native religions, sorcery and witchcraft,
as well as the Polytheist’s who also are amongst us?
What type of personality would such an individual be
who would even attempt such an audacious task?
In 1999 our nation transitioned into a democracy after
years of military rule, and the Man who was divinely
selected to lead this democratic renaissance was none
other than a former military head of state during the
1st republic President Olusegun Mathew Obasanjo. He
first took the helms of national leadership on the 13th
of February 1976 when the Supreme Military Council
appointed him as Head of State after he restored ?&FW ??B6V7W&?G???F?R?F???'?'&W7F??rF?RW'WG&F?'0??bF?R6?WGFV?B?b?sbv??6?7V???FVB??F?P?7676??F????bvV?W&??W'F??V???VBF?RF?V????F'??VB?b7FFR??`???&6???V6VgV????FVBF?R&V??2?b?vW"F?F?P?FV??7&F?6??V?V7FVBv?fW&??V?B?b&W6?FV?B6?V?P?6?v&??bF?R?F????'G??b??vW&??????6WfW&??V'2?FW"F?R??F'???FW'fV?VB??6Rv???@??W7FVB&W6?FV?B6?v&?????2??Bv?V?B&R??F?W ?b?V'2&Vf?&R??vW&??2v?V?B&Rv?fV?F?R??'GV??G?F?V?V7B?6???6RF?V?"?v??VFW"?F?W?6?F?@??v?FV???rF?W2??B7G&??R??F?R6?R?6RGv?6R'W@???F?R#?F??b?????F?B?F?v2f?&WfW"F?7&?fVB'?F?RV?W&vV?6R?b&W6?FV?B?&6???2F?P??fW&??v???W"?bF?R&W6?FV?F??V?V7F???2v?F??fW ?c"R?bF?Rf?FW2??BV6VgV??G&?6?F???VBF?R?F?????F?FV??7&7?2?V'2?FW"?v2BF?R?V???b?F????ff?'2??'WBv?B6??F?F???v2??vW&???v?V?&W6?FV?@??&6???&V6?R?G2&W6?FV?B??6Rv???gFW ?b?V'2?b??F'?'V?R??R6?V?B??B&??R????vW&??2f?"&V??r6WF??W6??F??7F?2?&V6W6R0?f"2F?W?vW&R6??6W&?VBF?R??vW&???F???v2??????vW"&V?G???BF?R6?V?G'??BFW66V?FVB??F??g&VVf???bWfW'???f?"???6V?b???vWfW"?F?R?F????v2??f?"?VvR7W'&?6R&V6W6R2??7F?'?v?????p?&VB?F?R?&6???&W6?FV?7?v2?&?VBv?F???P?7V66W727F?'?gFW"??F?W"?F?R?F????FV'Bv2?B?fb?u4??6V?6W2vW&P??w&?FVB?BF?RFV?V6??2??GW7G'?&V6?R???"6V7F?"?b?W"V6?????VF??rF?F?R7&VF????b?V?G&VG0??bF??W6?G2?b??'2?F?R??vW&??7F?6?W?6??vRv0?&Wf?F?6VB?&??2f??W&?6?VB?F?R&V?W7FFR?&?W@?W?W&?V?6VB&???v??6?7F???6??F??VW2F???F?F???F?W&Rv2WV?&W&W6V?FF?????F?R6?'&?F?'2?`??vW"f?"??WF???2w&?W2????