Nigeria@61: Accord Party urges citizens to embrace peace, shun tribal, religious politics

As the nation celebrates her 61st  independent anniversaries, the Delta State Chairman, Accord Party, Mr. Fred Obi has urged the citizens to celebrate in peace and shun tribal, religious and money politics.

Obi in a press statement made available to newsmen in Asaba, the state capital, stated that as a subnational under the sovereign state of Nigeria, Delta is the Big Heart of the Nation which made the state a mini Nigeria because of her multiplicity of tribes and cultures.

According to him, Delta, viewed by many as the Oil Rich state is inhabited by very loving and hospitable people; “from Burutu to Koko, from Agbor to Orerokpe and from Warri to Asaba our strength and is in our diversity, we must therefore strive to make good use of our diversity.

“As a subnational and a young state, we can unarguably state that we are just marking our 21st Independence celebration. If our argument still remains that, we are not where we are supposed to be, we can no longer argue that we are still where we were by 1960.”

He noted that as we continue to blame the political leaders for our failures, some have forgotten that the many years of Military incursion in our democratic structure was a great part of the many years of set back in our democratic journey.

Maintaining that the challenges of Nation Building are a difficult task saying  Nations that have so far succeeded did not achieve their success without sacrifices.

He argued that it is the sacrifices of the past and present heroes of these Nations that have taken them to the enviable heights we are all now seeing.

“Even with their huge success and sacrifices, records are replete of the challenges they are equally facing. Our Nation Nigeria is in a stage where we must all be involved in making the sacrifice of Nation Building.

Delta State cannot achieve any success in isolation, he, however, pointed out that the means and the link to achieving a better socio-economic and political status must be anchored on the principle of making Nigeria a great Nation for Delta to be Great too.

To make this achievable, the Accord Party Chairman insisted that we must as a people continue to sing the song that the dancing step can go together with the tune, a song not difficult or complicated for all to sing and dance to.

“We must continue to give a good name to such that belongs to us, and this is by properly positioning ourselves and working so hard for the good of the state and by extension Nigeria.”

Continuing; “Accord Party as now presently constituted in Delta state, it’s now positioned to give a true and purposeful leadership is void of ethnicity and religious bias.

“The Accord Party strongly believes that, we are not just celebrating the years of togetherness, we are equally celebrating how we have over the years surmounted the numerous challenges that were very close to tearing us apart.

“This is the more reason why leaders at all levels must bridle their tongues and be mindful of their utterances and seek that which will continue to keep us together as against that which will tear us apart.

“No doubt, Delta state is a multi-ethnic subnational, by all standards, no tribe can claim to be superior over the other, all tribes are co-equal and co-owners of the commonwealth.

“We strongly believe that as the state is endowed with Natural resources, we can as well boast of the human resources hence it’s our firm belief that all tribes are eminently qualified to present who can lead the state.”

Obi called on political actors and political parties to continue to preach peace and jettison such agenda that tends to create disaffection amongst us, adding that we must begin to preach and present manifestos or agendas that is pro-people and not anti-people.

“Deltans must also begin to discourage this politics of ethnicity as against competence saying Accord Party in Delta state will continue to preach against tribal and religious politics as well as the politics of zoning. The tribe that becomes Governor should never be a contentious issue amongst us.

“It was Delta Central, South, and now Delta North, the result is obvious before us, in our view, it is now time to elect men and women void of tribal and religious sentiment.

“Nigeria is your own, Delta State is your own, therefore think Nigeria, think Delta State and treat Nigeria and Delta State as your own.” He added.