From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians to come together in solidarity against the common threats that undermine the nation’s collective well being, saying that, Nigeria has endured too much.
The President made the call on Friday, while performing the groundbreaking for the Resettlement Scheme for Persons Impacted by Conflicts at Tudun Biri community, a Kaduna village accidentally bombed by the military in December last year.
Represented by the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, the President noted with dismay that, for so long, Nigerians have been held hostage by the fear of themselves and allowed preventable incidents to escalate into transgenerational disputes. “Today, we gather to say, “Enough is enough.”
He said his administration is committed to bolstering Nigeria’s security infrastructure and advancing peace, adding that the resettlement scheme, which is targeted at the communities affected by conflicts in Kaduna, Katsina, Benue, Niger, Zamfara, Sokoto and Kebbi, was a testament to the courage of the survivors and signals an end to their pessimism.
According to the President, the resettlement Scheme is a collective will of Nigerians to heal as a nation that has endured too much.
“It is an opportunity for each of us to come together and rebuild. It is a call to action. It is an appeal to come together in solidarity against the common threats that undermine our collective well-being.
“Today marks a fulfilment of a solemn promise. We are here to assure that the safety of each Nigerian shall be a priority, and we cannot claim to have achieved this until we restore dignity and security to those whose lives have been upended by conflict.
“Our journey to this point has been long and arduous. Today, we converge in this historic city to demonstrate our resolve to overcome adversity and build a future where each person and community sees the other as a friend, and where peace and opportunity are the birth right of every citizen.
“In just about a year in office, Governor Uba Sani has been an inspiration for unity in this beautiful state. I must emphasize that his approach is not only a template for other state governors but also for the nation at large.”
The non-kinetic interventions we have explored since taking office are best demonstrated by our state governors, and Kaduna is a light of hope in this aspect.”
In his welcome remarks, Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani said his government had disbursed over N275 million victims of the drone attack, their families and members of the community from money donated by individuals, public and private institutions.
Governor Sani said, since the unfortunate incident the government had supported the victims, their families and members of the community with relief materials through Kaduna State Emergency Agency, while medical and psycho-social support to the victims and their families were still on-going.