By NAN
One Nigeria Group (ONG), a non-governmental and non-political organisation has called on the people to rise and unite for the progress of the country.
The group, during a peace march in Abuja on Thursday, said that Nigerians should kick against secessionists whose agenda was to campaign for division instead of national unity.
The group’s President, Mr Muhammad Hassan, said that agitations by secessionists had been threatening the unity, peace and existence of the country and should not be condoned or taken for granted for any reason.
Hassan called on Nigerians to rise against the tide of secession and uphold the unity and peace of the country that occasioned the peace march.
“We are calling on every Nigerian for support. This secession that people are looking at as a small thing is not a small thing at all.
“We better rise against it, rise against ethnocentrism, rise against religious sentiments and respect our institutions so that we can build our country on the foundation of law and order.
“It should not be about this man is our tribe, why are they persecuting him? Countries in America and Europe build their foundations on the rule of law and order, national values and strong institutions.
“That is why they prosper. But we live in a country where people bring ethnic sentiments to court and everything we do. We have to do away with this.
“We need to harp on the unity of this country where we can live in peace, our children can get appointments on merit and not based on religious or ethnic background or group but only as Nigerians,’’ he said.
The ONG leader noted that the peace march was an avenue to call on all Nigerians to redeem their pledges to the country and fight against secession.
“All we are doing here today is not about Nnamdi Kanu or any other secessionist agitators. We are against secession.
“We are also redeeming our pledges to our country. The trial of any secessionist group or individual should be based strictly on the rule of law and not sentiment.
“The law is not a respecter of any individual. The individual should be the one to respect the law. The law does not even give the president the right to intervene in the trial. This has to do with the system and the judiciary’’, he said.
Hassan added that everyone was subjected to the rule of law whether it was the executive or the legislature. (NAN)