Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State on Saturday expressed concern over Nigerian politics and political conversation, saying citizens should have outgrown bigotry, tribalism and ethno-religious biases.
According to him, it was time to rekindle the candle of a new Nigeria, adding that the coming 2023 transition had provided “another opportunity to take a new day at making a new Nigeria of our dream.’’
Fayemi stated these during a birthday symposium in honour of the Chief Executive Officer, Connected Development, Hamzat Lawal at 35 in Abuja.
He said Nigerians should build a consensus around major challenges and develop a national template in leadership positions.
The governor described nation-building as an unfinished business before every generation, adding that it was always a pressing business of the day that must be done urgently.
He said, “These challenges that ail our country today, provide us with the opportunity to take a position and take a stand and walk for the resolution of such challenges.
“Nigeria will belong to those who are prepared to stand up, stand firm and take control of their destinies as the late Senator Robert Kennedy once said that `it is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped’.
“We can all do a bit in our little ways to cause a beautiful change that will lead us to make our country and indeed the world a better place. I am personally uncomfortable with the practice of our politics and our political conversation; we should have outgrown bigotry, tribalism and ethno-religious biases.
“It is time to rekindle the candle of a new Nigeria and the coming transition provides another opportunity for us to take a new day at making a new Nigeria of our dream.’’
The governor called on citizens to love the country and imagine it as a major world power in no distant time.
He said leaders are made from the crucible of experience of passion and courage and the readiness to sacrifice because nothing ventured nothing gained.
“If we trace Hamzat’s history very well from who he was and the focused dedicated and inspirational young man he has become, we will see he has taken strongly from these lessons.
“He is the founder of Follow the Money, a civic tech advocacy platform that has helped in tracking government expenditure and service delivery,” the governor said.
Fayemi described Hamzat as a major voice in the sustainable development goals action movement for young people and emerging leaders.
He said that some lessons to take away from Hamzat’s story was that for one to succeed, one needed to imbibe certain virtues in life, adding that such was one of the most important things youths often take for granted.
Fayemi, therefore, called on youths to value knowledge because without it they would not develop the right intellect, experience and skill set needed to help them prepare for a functional future.
He said that the pursuit of knowledge would liberate them from fears, biases and limitations.
“This is the kind of education that has helped Hamzat, we also need to develop skills that prepare us for selfless leadership through volunteerism, community engagement, and mobilisation for collective causes,” he said.
Fayemi urged youths to value competence, courage, generosity of spirit, a sense of giving than receiving, being solution providers than complainants, perseverance and delayed gratification to succeed.
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