Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has charged Nigerians to cultivate a nationalistic spirit that would promote oneness, unity and development of the country.
Okorocha regretted that he had always been misunderstood by his political opponents who ascribe ulterior motives to his belief in one Nigeria.
A statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo on Thursday said the governor spoke while receiving traditional rulers from across the federation at the Government House, Owerri.
The monarchs, who were in the state for the post-election peace summit had paid him a courtesy call.
According to the statement, Okorocha, who reaffirmed his faith in the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria, noted that “having been born Igbo, raised in the North and empowered by the West,” he had strong reason to believe in the country and its unity.
The spokesman for the monarchs, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ojaja II, was quoted as saying the group was aware of the political tension in the country, hence its resolve to intervene in restoring stability in the polity.
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“What we are known for as traditional rulers is to foster unity and peaceful co-existence across the entire country, Nigeria.
“We are aware of the political tension across the country and we are here to make a statement that we all belong to Nigeria and Nigeria is greater than all of us.
“We are here again to take this campaign further and, as traditional rulers, we should wake up from our slumber. We should continue to support governance and all the acts of governance in this country.”
“We only know unity in the traditional institution in Nigeria and that is what we want to foster in the nation. We will continue to move across the length and breadth of this nation to promote peace, irrespective of political or religious differences inherent in those states,” the Ooni said.
Present for the summit were Obi of Onitsha, Prof. Alfred Achebe, Obong of Calabar, Ediden Abasi, Ooni of Ife, the Sultan of Sokoto, Mohammed Abubakar, Etsu of Nupe, Valiya Abubakar, among others.
