An appeal has been made to elders to refrain from poisoning the minds of the younger generations with the biases of the past but to instead spur them into taking advantage of opportunities available to them in the country so as to enable their visions and aspirations to flourish untainted.
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo made the appeal at a Town Hall Meeting organized by the Ken Nnamani Centre for Leadership and Development at the National War Museum Umuahia to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the Nigerian Civil War.
Osinbajo, who observed said that the greatest tribute that Nigerians owe to the memory of those who paid their supreme sacrifice to the nation was to ensure that the circumstances that led to the civil war were never re-enacted, called for dialogue to resolve every other lingering issue.
While describing the Civil War as a defining national tragedy that has scared Nigerians as a people and has caused loss of opportunities for national advancement, with promising lives cut short in their primes, families ruptured, communities sacked and environments poisoned, he stressed the need for fairness, justice and equity amongst all ethnic and religious groups.
The Vice President however said that 50 years down the line the nation has invested in national integration, peace building and reconciliation and further called on all to be open minded as the nation’s historical mission was to create a substantial quality, an economic and social power house capable of powering the country and continent to prosperity and real development.
He noted that one of the challenges of the country is the provision of opportunities and hope for the teeming youths whom he described as energetic and dynamic and extolled the South East for being home for Nigeria’s most entrepreneural sons and daughters.
Prof Osinbanjo restated government commitment to provide Nigerian youths with tools and resources that will enable them make the most of their lives through collaboration with donor agencies.
In his speech, Governor Okezie, who stressed the need for a true national narrative where events of the war will be reviewed to chart a way forward for national unity, pointed out that Nigerians need to know where their problems started so as to enable them heal the scars and relics in their hearts.
He appealed to the Federal Government to accord special consideration to areas that suffered serious bombardment in the State and South East zone during the Nigeria Biafra war.
The Governor extolled the Ken Nnamani Leadership and Development Centre for organizing the meeting, adding that the Foundation is in a good position to begin to gather and hear from the horse’s mouth as it were what really happened so that we can say sorry to one another and say never again.
Earlier in a speech, the Convener of the meeting, and former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani said that the event was a significant milestone in our life as a nation and described it as an occasion for sober reflection.
He said the Centre thought it appropriate to organize an event that will bring together leaders and citizens to reflect on the war and its legacies while charting a course for our common future.
The event featured an interactive session with the Vice President responding to several questions from the audience while two war veterans also spoke about their experiences during the 30 month old of the war.
Religious and traditional leaders, students groups, professional associations, etc joined officials of the State Government at all levels at the event.
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