From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving in Kogi State, on Saturday held a ‘Unity Campaign Walk’ with a call for a united Nigeria.
The corps members who gathered in their thousands, kick started the unity walk at the NYSC State’s Secretariat which terminated Muhammadu Buhari Square Lokoja, where they were received by His Excellency, Governor Yahaya Bello.
The governor commended the converner for the initiative while appreciating the NYSC for sticking to its mandate in ensuring a united Nigeria.
Represented by his Chief of Staff (COS), Pharm. Abdulkareem Asuku, the governor stressed that the core values of the NYSC scheme, was anchored on patriotism, integrity, efficiency, and commitment to the unification of Nigeria.
The governor enjoined the corps members to be good ambassadors of the scheme and spread the gospel of its good virtues especially fostering national integration and unity.
He urged the youth not allow themselves to be used by politician as instruments of political thuggery in the 2023 general elections
He stressed that the youths should see themselves as leaders of today, and not tomorrow, saying, ”the tomorrow is now”.
The governor donated a sum of N1 Million naira to Kogi NYSC members to support the unity campaign walk.
Earlier, the NYSC Kogi State Coordinator, Pastor Mrs Mofoluwaso Williams, said the major mandate of NYSC was the unification of Nigeria.
Represented by Alh. Seidu Abdullahi, Head of CDS, NYSC Kogi, Williams commended the convener for his initiative to use the unity walk as his personal CDS project.
She urged the corps members to emulate and continue to practice what they had been thought during the service year on how to unify Nigeria.
”The unity of Nigeria is the major purpose of our existence as a country. We are not Igbo, Housa, Yoruba but Nigeria. Division is not the solution but unity,” she said.
The Convener, Mr Lawrence Osagie, a Corps member from Edo State, said the essence of the unity walk was to call on all Nigerians to live together in unity no matter the differences.
Osagie, who used the unity walk as his Community Development Service (CDS), said the initiative came from his burning desire to unite the country irrespective of backgrounds and affiliations.
He noted that the NYSC stand for the unity of Nigeria, stressing that unity remained key to nation’s progress in the North, East, South and West
”We have tried a lot of things and failed, let’s try unity. Let’s unite and develop our nation, contribute our quota toward the growth of this nation.
”Let’s come together for a better Nigeria,” Osagie said.
The convener expressed his delight over the huge turnout of corps members for the exercise, saying the NYSC members are extremely united.
The corps members carried various placards with inscriptions such as: ”NYSC Stands For Unity of Nigeria”, ”We are not Igbo, Housa, Yoruba but Nigeria, ”Division is not the solution but Unity”, ”Let us build this nation together”, among others.
The Unity walk was coordinated by Prince Muazu Idris, the NYSC Zonal Inspector (ZI) Lokoja zone; and Mr Ezekiel Otohinoyi, the Local Government Inspector of Lokoja.