If Nigeria breaks up, visas will be needed to move around, says Osinbajo 

By LEON USIGBE, Abuja

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday, reminded advocates of the break-up of Nigeria that if it happens, people will require visas to move around.

Making the observation at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while participating virtually at the 12th Asiwaju Bola Tinubu Colloquium held in Kano State, he said holding the event in Kano underscores the point that the country is stronger and better together.

While enumerating the merits in Kano hosting the colloquium, he said: “By this gesture, Governor Ganduje has helped us to tell two stories; this is the first time that the colloquium is being hosted outside Lagos and Abuja, the capital city.

“And it is befitting that Kano should be that place, this city of radical and progressive ideas and ideologies, a city whose leading political lights have been left of centre, which is the dominant tendency within our great party the APC.

“Second, it helps us to underscore the point that this country and its people are stronger and more powerful together than apart. For the purveyors of breaking up into small components/countries, perhaps they should be reminded that we would not have been able to accept Governor Ganduje’s offer to come to Kano at short notice since we would all have needed visas to come to Kano.”

The vice president called for a new set of Nigerians across all divides who are committed to a country operated on high values integrity, justice, love, among others.

He said: “We believe that we now have an opportunity to increase the numbers of a new tribe of Nigerians; a tribe of men and women of all faiths, tribes and ethnicities committed to a country run on high values of integrity, hard work, justice, and love of country.

“A tribe of men and women who are prepared to make the sacrifices and self-constraints that are crucial to building a strong society; who are prepared to stick together, fight for equity, and justice side by side.

“A tribe consisting of professionals, businessmen, politicians, religious leaders, and all others who believe that this new Nigeria is possible and already we have built and are building the building blocks for this new Nigeria.”

Osinbajo extolled the leadership style of the former Lagos State governor, saying that central to that style is; first a belief that development, economic, social, political development depends on enabling a contest of ideas. (Nigerian Tribune)