From Uche Usim, Abuja
To address the plethora of challenges plaguing the nation, One Nigeria Group (ONG), a non-political and non-governmental organisation committed to ensuring the peace and progress of Nigeria, has challenged Nigerians to stand up and fight for their right for peace, freedom and security of their lives and property.
The President of the Group, Muhammad Hassan Saleh, made the call on Wednesday at the Unity Fountain, Abuja, against the backdrop of the ongoing trial of the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, at the Federal High Court Headquarters, Abuja.
Addressing hundreds of supporters who embarked on a peace and unity march from the Unity Fountain to the Federal High Court, Saleh lamented that ravaging insecurity was deeply eating up the pillars of unity of the country, adding that justice remains a potent panacea to the social scourge.
He said: “The unity and sovereignty of this country is being threatened and Nigerians are taking it lightly. It is the duty and responsibility of all Nigerians to be in this court. Every Nigerian should come out and redeem their pledges for the country. Everybody should come out to redeem our pledges and ensure that justice is served. This is what we are doing here today. This is not something that should be taken lightly by Nigerians,” Saleh said.
He added: “The unity of this country is for the benefit of all of us. This IPOB group and their leader are not in any way representing the interest of our Igbo brothers and sisters living in Lagos, living in Kano and other parts of the country and going about their businesses. Our people in the Southeast are just being kept at home against their own will.”
On why IPOB members were not forgiven and given amnesty like some Boko Haram insurgents, Saleh said: “There is no single IPOB member that has come out to say he is sorry or repentant. I have never heard anything like that. If they become repentant, they can be given amnesty. We are all Nigerians. There should be nothing like taking sides with anybody. “
Some members of the supporters also corroborated Saleh’s views.
Augustine Antony, who introduced himself as a patriotic Nigeria said:
“I have come to identify with the group. It doesn’t matter the tribe you are, we are one Nigerian.
“Before any tribe or religion, there is humanity and we have come to answer the call of humanity. We are saying peace and one Nigeria,” he added.
Sunday Attah, a co-convener of the group, urged Nigerians to defend the sovereignty of the nation.
“Nigerians have no other nation. So, they should not allow some people to bring destruction upon it. It is not the time to sit down and watch the country go down in disunity. If we are not united, our security and economy will not grow,” he said.
“We are not against any section. We are preaching one Nigeria. We are only against anybody that promotes anything that will bring destabilisation in the country”, he said.
