Former President Goodluck Jonathan has urged Nigerians to imbibe a deep sense of collective patriotism to contribute to nation building in all facets of national life where they find themselves rather always heaping the blames of the challenges facing the nation on the leadership.
Jonathan gave this charge in Abuja while delivering his remarks at the public presentation of a report with the title, Terrorism and Banditry: The Nexus; which was produced through a rigourous research work by The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation.
The former President told the gathering that he was the right person to challenge his fellow compatriots to wake up to that responsibility because of the opportunity he had to rise through the ranks in the political hierachy to the very top of having to serve as the president of the country for about five years.
In his words during the event, “As a leader, I have been privileged to preside over the affairs of this nation for five years.
“So, I appreciate the challenges that come with nation building and the burden associated with pursuing peace and building trust in times of crises.
“I have often said peace is not a rain from heaven but a product of human conduct. Peace is a manifestation of our human actions. Therefore, peace in any society is dependent on the commitment of the people to attaining it.
“Our pursuit of peace cannot be achieved in isolation of the pursuit of justice and other human security needs.
“This is so because peace is the bridge that links poverty to prosperity, reconciles hope with despair and imposes order on chaos.
“Nation building as a journey of many miles implies that every citizen is laden with responsibilities and our commitment to these responsibilities is what will guarantee peace and progress in our nation.
“There is no doubt that our nation is plagued by many crises and these challenges have continued to threaten our fate and shared destinies.
“We have lost our loved ones, lost millions of properties and investment because of insecurity.
“The challenges posed by banditry, terrorism and other associated crimes threaten our human essence and the essential values of our democracy and nationhood.
“This is why the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, considered it apt to undertake this research with a view to engaging the relevant stakeholders towards an improved security,” he explained.
He continued: “Today we have not come to lament, nor to amplify the flaws within our federation. We have not come to stretch the debate on the state of our nation.
“We are simply here to engage with relevant stakeholders and proffer solutions and initiate actions that will solve our common problems.
“We have come to share thoughts on how to better manage and address the challenges of internal security that is affecting all Nigerians, irrespective political affiliation, ethnic group and state of origin.
“This report we are presenting today contains some observations and recommendations on the challenges of banditry and other human security concerns in our nation.
“The report is by no way conclusive and complete in itself; that is why stakeholders have been invited to discuss the way forward and suggest more solutions beyond those put forward in the research.
“Our gathering here today therefore is a solemn conversation of trust, aimed at building consensus towards attaining a new reality – which is peace and progress.
“I am optimistic that the eminent personalities on the panel and other guests in the course of the panel discussion and comments will further probe into the findings of the report as we seek to proffer workable solutions towards containing the present challenges.
“As I conclude, let me state that the crisis facing us today requires sacrifice and urgency of actions from all stakeholders.
“We must therefore show commitment to peace, in words, in action and in all other necessary means. Like I noted sometimes ago at another forum, to build a peaceful nation we must first build hope in the lives of the people; because hope inspires love, love promotes peace, peace engenders justice while justice guarantees freedom and trust,” former President Jonathan stated.
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