Ebun Francis|
Elder statesman and former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo has said that the unity of Nigeria cannot be negotiated on the altar of personal or individual interest.
Obasanjo who also called on media practitioners to be objective and shun reports that can trigger crisis in the country made the assertion while playing host to the Editorial Board and Anniversary Planning Committee of Penpushing Media at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta.
According to him, Nigerians should learn to focus on their common identity, values and interests as the multi-ethnic nature and cultural diversity of Nigeria should be a blessing to the country.
He said the nation should be built on what binds the various entities together, and lamented what he described as an unfortunate loss of trust in the Nigerian media.
Obasanjo said, “The media is supposed to be a servant of the people and if the media stop to be an honest servant of the people, then there is no sane society. The media is supposed to bind, not separate people. The people’s interests, opinions on security and national issues should bound us together as a nation, where whatever happens in Badagry should concern someone in the North just because they are bound in one interest as a nation.”
The Chairman, Editorial Board of Penpushing, Funke Fadugba, earlier in her remark said their visit was to pay homage to the former president and intimate him of programme of events of the second anniversary of the organisation.