Executive Director, Operations, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Mr. Aminu Ismail,  (5th right), being joined by a cross-section  of members of  staff of AMCON to cut the Nigeria @57 Independence Anniversary cake in Lagos recently.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria AMCON, Mr. Ahmed Kuru, has predicted that Nigeria would be a better and more prosperous country, especially if her rich, diverse cultural heritage and other economic potential are harnessed.

The Managing Director, who was represented by the Executive Director in charge of Operations, Mr. Aminu Ismail, who gave this view, spoke at the annual event organised by the corporation to mark the country’s 57th independence anniversary.

Recall that the corporation celebrates Nigeria’s independence yearly with series of events and programmes that create bonding and expression and display of the cultural diversity of Nigeria through pep-talk from senior officials of AMCON, traditional delicacies from across Nigeria, drama sketches and cultural displays amongst others. The theme for this year’s edition was ‘Unity in Diversity.’

He however joined millions of well-meaning Nigerians to reiterate the need for unity among all the regions that make up the country.

He also enjoined every Nigerian to eschew all forms of bitterness, embrace one another and join hands to build a country of our dream.

“To achieve these, now is not the time to sound the drumbeat of agitations or disunity, but a time to pull everyone together in unity to rebuild Nigeria to reclaim her pride of place among comity of nations as it goes without saying that charity begins at home”, he said.

He also called on members of staff of the corporation and indeed all Nigerians to be good ambassadors and preachers of peace across Nigeria by acting and behaving in manners that promote peaceful coexistence in the country.

According to him, Nigerians must not lose hope since the current wave of agitations in the country was not peculiar to Nigeria alone going by what is happening across the globe, citing instances of the Brexit, Spain and the Catalonia referendum as well as Scottish quest for liberation down to America and the many issues of race they currently face.

He said: “It is important that Nigeria and Nigerians avoid the mistake of allowing a few individuals to drag us to the extreme of violent clashes, which do no good to any nation. But really this current wave of agitations in the country would make Nigeria stronger at the end of the day and so she would remain one big family irrespective of culture, tribe, religion or political affiliations that are fuelling these current trends”.

“Even before these current agitations across the country, we have had in years past the Ife/Modakeke, Umuleri/Aguleri, Hausa/Fulani, Ijaw/Itshekiri, Ezza/Ezilo and Tiv/Tarok clashes, just to mention a few, which we have settled and bonded the feuding communities better as one people. Believe me, we are evolving as a nation and our strength remains in the unity of Nigeria because we have a lot to leverage and develop into a world power when we harness the rich human and natural resources God has blessed us with”.

“We must therefore not allow ourselves as opinion leaders in our different rights to be misled by a few people that cannot see the bigger picture of a united Nigeria. This for me is food for thought for all of us as we celebrate Nigeria’s 57th independence anniversary.”