As Nigeria marks her 61st independence, Vera Okorochukwu, the founder of Marvin Okorochukwu Foundation, has called on the citizenry to be more united for the sake of development.
Addressing journalists in Owerri, Imo State capital, the revered philanthropist said without unity, hatred would reign, which according to her, is detrimental to growth.
In her words, “while we may say there are many factors that contribute to the overall development of a country, I believe national unity is the most vital, especially in a country like Nigeria.
“Nothing can grow alone and even an adage exemplifies the point (a tree cannot make a forest). For instance, if you want to grow your business you need team members, and if you want to grow a family as well, you also need a partner. So, we need one another to achieve a greater country.”
Speaking further, Okorochukwu expressed the opinion that the Nigerian government can do more in blowing its trumpet.
“There is more to be done as far as blowing our trumpet is concerned. We have a lot of Nigerians at the centre of global attraction, and I think the government can leverage this for the sake of our good image.
“We have the likes of Wizkid and Burna Boy, doing magic with music and waving the Nigerian flag very high. We also have the likes of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Akinwumi Adesina making economic policies that affect the world. Sadly, we are not making noise about our pride, which I think is not good enough,” she added.
Okorochukwu, therefore, promised to continue her commitment in celebrating Nigerians by helping them tackle their challenges and make them see reasons to be proud of their nationality.