The Abia state Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu,has urged Nigerians to focus more on factors that can bind us together as a Nation,rather than dwell on issues that are threatening to our unity.
The Governor who made this known during the first Abia Social Media Converge held in Umuahia, said Nigeria’s problem is not president Muhammadu Buhari,but stated that Nigerians lay more emphasis on issues that could cause division such as differences in religion, ethnicity, tribe, political parties among others.
The Abia Governor said that it is high time Nigerians built on pillars that could hold them together, as well as shun any agenda that promotes hatred and disunity.
Gov Ikpeazu pointed out that the problem we are facing today as a nation is beyond what we are focusing on, adding that if we could raise the bar of negotiation and dialogue,then our differences could be addressed.
He said no one should see war or violence,as way out of the recent crisis that is heating up the nation, stating that he witnessed the last civil war and it is a not good sight to behold for the second time.
Fielding questions from participants during the Interactive session, the Governor said every society depends on the media for survival, therefore,the media should be used to effect positive changes, rather than being used as a tool of running down a government or defaming one’s character, among others.
He said the media should be used to promote government policies and it should be free from biases and hate speeches.
The Governor, however, used the session to call on the Nigerian Union of Teachers in the state to call off their strike and return to the classroom,so that the achievements the state has recorded in Education in time past would not be forfeited.
According to him, since he came on board as the Governor, the number of students and pupils in public schools skyrocketed from over a hundred thousand to over six hundred thousand,as a result of the introduction of the Abia School Feeding programme.
He said the strike has the tendency of reducing this population in Government schools,as no parent or guardian would want to keep their children at home for long.
Gov Ikpeazu said already the state has paid three months salaries to the teachers and they are also preparing to pay another two months,but pleaded for the teachers to return the classroom,while they put up measures to clear off the backlog of arrears.
