Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo says
both the elders and youth of Nigeria deserve some accolades for their
contribution to nation-building.
‘I deserve some accolades’ is a
phrase made popular by Charles Okocha, an actor and social media sensation.
Osinbajo borrowed from the phrase
while speaking on Tuesday at the 11th edition of The Platform, a non-profit
initiative of Covenant Christian Centre.
According to the number two
citizen, nation-building is a continuous work in progress because the builders
are confronted with new challenges daily.
The Vice-President commended the
resilience and commitment of Nigerians even in the face of hardship.
“But the task of nation-building
is never done. The builders confront new problems every day,” Osinbajo said.
“Today, we are confronted with
the remnants of Boko Haram, farmer/herdsman crisis. The job of the builder is
not to complain or to escape but to confront and to resolve.
“The solution is in building that
Nigerian bridge. The bridge will not be the one made of bricks and steel. It
will be one built with the strongest material of our will to excel as Nigerians
and our commitment to build a good society.
“A bridge that connects us across
politics, religion, ethnicity and across even generations. The bridge that will
stand the powerful forces of fear, division and exclusion.
“This bridge will be built with
the wisdom of the elderly and the strength of the youth. But both of us deserve
some accolades.”
Osinbajo said he believes the
building of nations is achieved “through the accomplishments of many outside of
political leadership”.
He said the government’s main
role is to provide an enabling environment for growth to thrive.
“Nation-building in its practical
sense refers to the formal and informal processes by which political leadership
attempt to build a national identity, national ethos, a national spirit,
especially in ethnically and religiously diverse societies,” he said.
“It is my own thesis, that while
government’s role is creating the environment for nation growth, the real
building of nations is done through the accomplishments of many outside of
political leadership.
“Men and women in business,
agriculture, education, entertainment, who by just doing their business
diligently or making sacrifices contribute to build the companies and social
systems that ultimately, build the nation.”
Reeling out a list and telling
stories of Nigerians across different sectors who, in their private capacities,
are thriving and adding to national development, Osinbajo said: “We can
contribute in profoundly transformative ways to changing our societies, by just
doing our own bit with excellence.
“It is just amazing the credible
work that these individuals do. These are the true nation builders.
“The teachers, the farmers, the
entrepreneurs, the public servants they pay their taxes, they bear the hardship
but they are determined and committed.
“They are the ones who recognise
that even where change is slow, it will come. Their own dream of greatness is
that hard work is the building blocks of our nation.”
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