Former President Goodluck Jonathan grieved on Saturday that previous presidents’ tries to unify Nigeria, particularly those of the First Republic, failed because their agendas and policies were regional rather than nationalistic.
Nonetheless, Jonathan noted that despite the authority’s best efforts, centrifugal forces that strengthened ethnic interests won out over their efforts to position the nation for economic growth.
In addition, the former president compelled Nigerians to take caution when casting ballots, noting, “We must shift away from the politics of bread and butter.”
Jonathan stated this in his paper titled: ‘Lasting legacy: Key to Nigeria’s development issues, at the one-year memorial lecture in honor of the late Captain Hosa Okunbo in Abuja.
He claimed that the current generation of leaders inherited a country that had already become divided into three and then four regions.
Jonathan said, “I believe that the legacy of nationhood and roots of unity were weak at Nigeria’s independence and not much has been done since then to strengthen the base of the union.
“The decision to shift away from the regional arrangement to a national focus, where Nigerians will begin to see their country as their common heritage, needs a different orientation, planning, strategy, and adaptation.
“My charge to Nigerians is to be circumspect in the exercise of their voting rights. We must shift away from the politics of bread and butter and ensure that we do not elect leaders that will buy our conscience today and mortgage the future of our children and grandchildren. We should endeavor to elect only those that will leave legacies of unity, peace, and development.”