The Progressive Governors Forum, PGF has condemned in the strongest terms the present secessionist and separatist agitations promoting ethno-regional identity in the country.
PGF said in a statement by its director general, Salihu Moh. Lukman, that these sundry factional groups, claiming to represent different ethnic nationalities, sow seeds of disunity and promote secessionist agenda in the nation, stressing that “we decry and reject their activities in all intents and purposes.”
The statement stressed that in line with the social democratic principles of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the PGF promotes all-inclusive government, for the development of policies and programs that improve the life of every Nigerian citizen, regardless of ethnicity and religious orientation.
Acknowledging the rich diverse heritage of Nigeria as a country, the PGF particularly noted that the resurgence of desperate youth groups promoting ethno-regional identities and extremist positions from the different geo-political zones across the nation as currently experienced is a reflection of prevalent weak governance, economy and law enforcement system in Nigeria.
The challenge before us as Nigerians, PGF said, is to “commit ourselves to the unity of the country. We must create by all means necessary, a country that we can collectively call our home, irrespective of tongues and localities. This is a vision the APC as a party is committed to lead and for which the PGF is unapologetically and intrinsically loyal.These threats to national unity must cease totally and put away into history.
“While acknowledging that as a nation, we do have challenges, PGF believe that the resolution of those challenges rest with the development of our democracy and with it, the ascendency of structured processes of national consultations, negotiations and invariably agreements.
“Some of the challenges are highlighted in the accompanied PGF Position – There has to be a Nation First. As Governors elected under APC, we will work with our party leaders, the Federal Government and all Nigerians who are committed to democratic development all parts of the country to ensure unencumbered protection of lives of all citizens in every part of the territorial boundary of our nation.”
PGF therefore call for the rise of all decent voices across the country to speak up against the upsurge of some desperate irredentist movements across all ethnic groups and support the emergence of a stronger and virile unified Nigeria for all.
The Forum insisted that, regardless of “our diverse identities and whatever differences, Nigeria has to thrive, hence, there has to be a nation first”