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By Henry Uche
Following the unprecedented spate of insecurity and other challenges bedeviling the country, a professor of Biology, Anya Oko Anya has called on president Muhammadu Buhari to recall veterans to help the Nigerian military to flush out every form of insurgency ravaging the country.
The don who made this call yesterday while delivering a lecture at the 21st Mike Okonkwo annual lecture in Lagos, decried the excruciating pains of Nigerians brought about by APC administration. “We need to get back our veterans to help this country to fight the enemies of the land. If we ignore them, we do that at our peril,”
Anya warned Nigerians to be wary of never -do -well political merchants who are determined to do anything to foist themselves in power even as Nigerians go to pool in 2023. Anya who spoke on, “Nigeria- A country At War Against Itself: The Problems, Solutions and Way Forward”, said Nigeria got itself in the current dark valley out of insensitivity of political leaders who never heeded to early warnings of doom.
He said, “We are highly endowed. But bad leaders has been the bane. When you deploy best brains, there is no limit to which you can get to. It’s unfortunate countries like Nigeria with abundance of natural blessings suffer while those with little or insignificant natural resources like Singapore prosper.
We must stop behaving like the ostrich. Nigeria is about to be drown in its self inflicted woes. Competency, not genealogy should guide our decisions. If we desire a safe and prosperous country, then we must shun mediocrity which has brought despondency, hopelessness and all manner of evil in the land, it’s high time Nigerians woke up from sentiments and go for what is worth going after,” he charged.
In appreciation, the celebrant/ founder of the Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) Bishop Mike Okonkwo, maintained that there is yet hope for Nigeria despite all odds.
Okonkwo who encouraged both students who won different prizes on his 17th Annual Essay competition and other Nigerian students to put in their best academic works, affirmed that Nigeria will soon get out of the woods to the promised land.
“We’re on our way to promised land. We shall see a country we desire where equity, Justice and rule of law shall reign. Those who mocked us will return to celebrate with us. We shall keep praying and would not give up. We trust God. We shall get there.
Okonkwo added that it is Nigerians that would fix the broken walls of Nigeria. “We are not going anywhere. We shall soon take our place of pride. We shall celebrate soon, but we must repeat mistake of the past,” he warned.
Also speaking, the Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu, represented by his special advisor on Chieftaincy and local government affairs, Prince Bayo Oshinyemi, urged the celebrant (Bishop Okonkwo) and other clergymen to keep praying for Nigeria as an indispensable solution to the current predicament of Nigeria.
“We can’t do without prayers. Let’s join forces to pray for our country. I congratulate Bishop Okonkwo at 77, I urge religious leaders to join us to make Nigerian safer, secured and prosperous country,” he implored.
The chairman of the occasion, Commodore Okoh Ebitu Ukiwe (Rtd) in lamentation said he could not think of any time or periods Nigeria had ever faced the level of challenges of intolerance, so much hate, so much division along ethnic, religious and even geo- political zonal lines.
“These challenges are compounded by very high level of insecurity all over the country and extreme poverty. I will encourage Bishop Okonkwo and all other Men of God whose prayers are most likely to reach high heaven to continue to go on their knees and intercede for this great Country Nigeria.
“They should pray that tolerance, love, unity, peace, justice, fairness and above all good leadership devoid of personal and other primordial considerations through the Mercy Of God be visited on Nigeria and a Nigeria that will accord the youths of this great country their due and appropriate space and opportunities,” he prayed.
