By Timothy Choji, Abuja
Vice President Kashim Shettima says all citizens of Nigeria must learn to live together in peace, to enhance development in all parts of the country.
VP Shettima gave the advice in Masaka, Nasarawa State on Thursday, while commissioning the 5km Masaka-Luvu road in Karu Local Government of the State.
The VP said; “there can never be peace without development and there can never be development without peace. I was in Plateau State on Wednesday to sympathise with the people of Bokkos and Barikin Ladi Local Governments over the sad tragedy that befell us on Christmas-eve.
“As Martin Luther King rightly said, ‘we either learn to live together as brothers or we perish together as fools. It is inconsiderable for any community to be an island unto itself.
“We have to learn to embrace each other, to tolerate one another and for us in Northern Nigeria, we are all united by our heritage of poverty and destitution. I see no reason why we should be fighting each other instead of collectively fighting poverty, destitution and backwardness in our States.”
The Vice President, who was the Special Guest of honour at the event, used the opportunity to commend the Governor of Nasarawa State for maintaining peace in his domain, as he called on Nigeria’s to resist acts that can lead to anarchy.
Shettima said; “I want to commend the Governor fundamentally for maintaining that delicate peace balance. There are agents of destruction, purveyors of death, who are trying to inflame passion in most of the volatile parts of the North but we should resist that temptation to plunge us into a state of anarchy.
“It is easy to cause chaos but very difficult to bring back peace. Your Excellency, continue your good works of maintaining peace.”
The VP disclosed that the Nigerian government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, is committed to the provision of infrastructure across the country.
He said; “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has instructed me to convey to the good people of Nasarawa State that his government is poised to address the infrastructural deficit of our society.”
He stressed that by next year, the school feeding programme would be introduced across the length and breadth of Nigeria.
“It is absolutely essential because the gray matter infrastructure of a growing child is very important in realizing his or her full potential. So this is vitally important and the President has a lot of empathy for those on the lower strata of the society.
“The President is interested in redefining the meaning and concept of modern leadership. It is for us in Nasarawa to maintain peace and amity, embrace one another for development to reach us,” the Vice President added.
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule thanked the Vice President for personally accepting to commission the road, which he said has a lot of history attached to it, adding that the dream for constructing the road started 15 years ago.
Governor Sule said; “I want to show great appreciation to Your Excellency because it was only last week that I came to inform you about the historical nature of this road and asked that you come and help us commission it. We had much longer roads and bigger projects but this one is extremely historical because it was indeed the dream of our first civilian Governor, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu.”
The Governor expressed delight that the road has now been completed during his tenure.
Giving the vote of thanks on behalf of the Nasarawa State Council of Chiefs, Etsu Karu, Pharmacist Luka Panya Baba, in whose domain the project is located, thanked the Nasarawa State government for the gesture.
He therefore pledged the full support of his people for the President Bola Tinubu-led administration as he identified with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President, which he said is depicted in the completion of the road.
Dignitaries present at the event included the immediate past National Chairman-APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Distinguished Senator Ahmed Wadada, representing Nasarawa West, Abdulmumin Mohammed Ari, Member Nasarawa-Toto Federal Constituency, Hon Abubakar Hassana Laraba and Member Awe-Keana-Doma Federal Constituency, Hon Jeremiah Umaru.
Others were; Member Akwanga-Nasarawa Eggon-Wamba Federal Constituency, Justice Sidi Bage Mohammed CON-Emir of Lafia/Chairman Nasarawa State Council of Chiefs, Rt Hon Danladi Jatau, Speaker Nasarawa State House of Assembly and members of Nasarawa State Executive Council and members the Nasarawa State House of Assembly. (VoN)
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