THE
SPEECH DELIVERED TO MEMBERS OF UNITED NIGER DELTA FORUM BY MAJ. GEN. JOHN W. T.
GBOR (RTD), ON THE OCCASION OF THE AWARD AS THE OKUGBE OF THE NIGER DELTA (THE
SYMBOL OF UNITY AMONG THE NIGER DELTANS), AT THE OFFICE OF THE JOHN GBOR
FOUNDATION AND PATRIOTIC ACTION NIGERIA, ABUJA ON THURSADAY 11 MARCH 2021
The
President of United Niger Delta Forum,
Comrade
Oghenovo Ese Gabriel
Members
of the United Niger Delta Forum,
Officials
of the John Gbor Foundation and Patriotic Action, Nigeria (PAN)
Ladies
and Gentlemen
Today, I feel highly
honoured, by this spectacular award as the OKUGBE OF THE NIGER DELTANS by United Niger Delta Forum (UNDF). I am
highly delighted for this award. I appreciate you, members of the United Niger
Delta Forum. It is very thoughtful of you to have considered me as the Symbol
of Unity among the people of the Niger Delta. As an ordinary citizen who is
committed to the unity and peaceful co-existence of all Nigerians, it is my
prayer to the Almighty God that, I live up to the expectations of the people of
the Niger Delta and the Nigerian people of the other geo-political zones.
THE
TASK TO UNITE NIGERIA
Nigeria our dear
country is going through a series of challenges. Some of our numerous
challenges include lack of unity, youth unemployment, hunger, and all problems
associated with youth development and women empowerment.
The unity of Nigeria is
the key to all Nigerian problems. There is the need for all component parts of
our dear country to come together in unity in order to ensure our peaceful
co-existence and economic prosperity.
I therefore, task you, the
leadership and members of United Niger Delta Forum, as well as my good people
of the Niger Delta, to take the lead of the other geo-political zones to unite
Nigeria. The United Niger Delta Forum can initiate and achieve the realistic
unity of Nigeria by organizing nation-wide rallies.
THE
NEED TO MOBILIZE THE YOUTHS
The Nigerian youths are
a vital link with the future. The youths must necessarily be mobilized to unite
and combat the ills of the nation. This is because the future of Nigeria will
not only fall into their hands but also, will be on their shoulders.
In the next three
decades, Nigeria’s population is expected to increase to over 400,000,000
people. The Nigerian youths of today will shoulder the responsibility to feed
the people, provide security for all, provide education for the children and the
youths of the time, provide health facilities, roads and all that will be
required for the wellbeing of the people. Although the Federal Government is
doing her best to mobilize the youths, however, if the youths are not
adequately mobilized to unite the nation now, it will be virtually impossible for
them to provide good governance, security and foods to steaming population of
over 400,000,000 people. The youths must be taught now to defy Afenifere,
Ohannaeze, and Arewa Consultative Forum, and to jettison ethnicity, religiosity,
and geopolitical divides in order to position themselves to solve Nigeria’s problems.
As
the OKUGBE OF THE NIGER DELTA, I
appeal to members of United Niger Delta Forum and to all Nigerian youths to
unite the nation. The Nigerian youths will sooner or later take over the
responsibility of overseen the affairs of the nation. However, they will not lead Nigeria as
Yorubas, Igbos, Ibibio, Kanuri, Fulani, Nupe, etc, but they will lead Nigeria
as Nigerians. In other words, the Nigerian youths owe the nation the singular
act of uniting the nation to give us the badly desired Nigerian Identity so that we
will become “just Nigerians.”
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