For Nigeria To Remain As One, We Must Renegotiate Our Unity – Onaiyekan

The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has said for Nigeria to remain as one, the terms of unity of its citizens must be renegotiated.

Cardinal Onaiyekan said President Muhummadu Buhari’s declaration that the country’s unity was non-negotiable doesn’t make sense to him.

The Catholic Archbishop said this at the 18th annual lecture of the Catholic Brothers United of St Agnes Catholic Church, in Maryland, Lagos.

Onaiyekan said if indeed Nigerians must stay as one, they shouldn’t live “as a group of captives locked up in a prison,” but rather as citizens who believe that they belong to a nation.

“In recent times, a lot has been said about Nigeria’s unity and how a national cohesion is non-negotiable. But such a statement does not seem to make much sense to me. It is begging the question, because in politics, everything is negotiable,” said Onaiyekan in his speech themed “Proffering solution to the current economic recession: The religious perspective”.

“We must be ready to renegotiate the terms of our unity, to show that indeed we are serious about staying together, not just as a group of captives locked up in a prison, but rather as a nation of diverse people who have freely decided to live together in unity.

“If we decide that we shall remain together, we should have the courage to do what it takes to build a united country. To do so, we need to build upon the massive resources that God has endowed the country with.

“Children are born not only with a mouth to eat, but also with two hands to work and produce. Above all, they come with brains to think. Therefore, every human being is a subject of productivity. In a well-organised society, human beings, as the greatest resources should be put at the centre of our public affairs,” he said.