From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has appealed to the Nigerian media to halt the debate on the Muslim-Muslim ticket by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), saying the current insecurity as well as oil theft by those he described as anti-national interest, were more pressing.
The governor made the appeal Friday, in the State House Friday, after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, to seek the approval for the Federal Medical Centre Owerri be converted to Federal University of Technology Teaching Hospital and for Alvan Ikoku College of Education to become Federal University of Education Owerri.
Uzodimma said: “I think that even the media, I want to use this opportunity to invite you people to prioritize our area of interest. First, the mood of the country today is not about who the candidates are. The mood of the country is that two or three years ago, we were producing 2.1 million barrels of crude oil every day. For over 12 years, that has been our main source of foreign exchange. Suddenly, because of the activities of those who are anti-national interest, we’ve lost over a million barrels and barely managing to produce 1 million.
“I think we should arise in unison to condemn the activities of crude oil theft by anti-Nigerian interest groups and bring back the economy of the country. Because you have to have a country first before you have a president.
“Look at the quantum of banditry going on in Nigeria today. To the extent that bandits are courageously even coming into the capital city. We should rise in unison and condemned these activities. We should make emphasis on things that will unite the country and by the grace of God abandon those things that are capable of dismembering the country. Our national interest is important. Our national unity is important. Our ability to live together as brothers and sisters also important.
“The primary purpose of government is for the security of lives and property and the welfare of our citizens. To what extent have we supported Federal Government in achieving this primary purpose? Those are things that should occupy our minds now. But if you throw Nigeria into a situation where religious dichotomy, ethnic jingoism will be at the front burner, it means you are working against Nigeria. So let us allow political parties who have chosen their candidates, no matter the religion where they come from, to go out and do their campaign. It is left for the electorate to reject the ticket by not voting for them, or accept the ticket by voting for them.