Former Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, took to Twitter this morning to harp on a few matters of national interest.
The erstwhile World Bank Vice President complained about the fact that Nigeria- from inception- has never placed much value on its citizens life.
Ezekwesili then delved into explaining the distinction between being a ‘country’ and a ‘nation’, insinuating that Nigeria was more of the former.
She also said that Nigeria’s founding fathers failed to harmonize and unify the country after gaining independence, hence its problems.
DAY528 of OUR #ChibokGirls. Light shines in Darkness & Darkness cannot comprehend it. SHIINE the LIGHT for OUR Girls! pic.twitter.com/wGHnU7O5Qk
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
DAY428 of OUR #ChibokGirls. OUR Girls are CRYING TO BE RESCUED, @NGRPresident. WE need them #BroughtBack!!! #BBOG!!!! pic.twitter.com/vAXEAzI70O — Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
DAY528 of OUR #ChibokGirls. @MBuhari; #ChibokGirls are #NeverToBeForgotten! #NeverToBeForgotten! #BringBackOurGirls!! pic.twitter.com/Re3PNgC6os
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
DAY528 of OUR #ChibokGirls Our little ones have not & vowed to NEVER GIVE UP on their Big Sisters #NeverToBeForgotten pic.twitter.com/fA6JNh88NH — Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
DAY518 of OUR #ChibokGirls The whole world that SPOKE up for HUMANITY SAKE waits in earnest HOPE. #BringBackOurGirls! pic.twitter.com/8oYsSaevtq
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
Reflecting in joy & gratitude for @HQNigerianArmy ‘s rescue of 241 fellow Citizens, my heart sank at the thought of many more we KNOW NOT. — Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
When some wrongly attack @BBOG_Nigeria 4 advocating for OUR #ChibokGirls they forget that the girls became a SYMBOL 4 all other CAPTIVES.
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
A country must place VALUE on her Citizens. Nigeria has NEVER. Not in the 60’s, 70’s, 80s, 90s, 2000s to date. Reason Nigeria hobbles.
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
Gulf b/w Nigeria-State & her Citizens explains 60’s Civil War, 70s-date “Minority” issues of North Central Nigeria, 80s Niger Delta tragedy — Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
Gulf between Nigeria-State and her Citizens explain the 90s June 12 & South West disaffection, the 2000s Odi&Zaki Biam &North East tragedies
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
There are two concepts that are often misunderstood– NATION BUILDING & STATE BUILDING. Two different things a country must do to BECOME. — Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
A Country first builds itself into a Nation &then as a Nation builds itself into a CAPABLE STATE. As a Nation-State a country WORKS FOR ALL!
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
Amalgamated into one Country in 1914. Independence in 1960. We have not transited beyond Country. WE ARE NOT A NATION. That, is the #PROBLEM — Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
Our Founding Nationalists, simply equated our becoming a country with attaining nationhood. Not so. Has never been so in LANDS of DIVERSITY.
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
WE unified to send the British home but never UNIFIED afterward to DEFINE OUR SHARED IDENTITY..SHARED VISION..SHARED VALUES. So WE HOBBLE ON — Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
The debilitating failure to FORGE CONSENSUS on OUR: * Shared Identity * Shared Vision *Shared Values is CLASSIC FAILURE OF NIGERIA’s ELITE.
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
* Shared Identity * Shared Vision *Shared Values are regarded “Nation Formations”. WE do not have them as OUR FOUNDATION & so WE HOBBLE ON — Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
Following Nation Building is State Building i.e. the building of social, human&physical infrastructure on the base of critical institutions.
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
State Building is what then progresses a unified people into citizens of an economically, socially and politically viable Nation-State. — Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
To end this cycle of HOBBLING ON– if there is ONE THING @MBuhari should invest time on, it is to RALLY the Country into NATION BUILDING.
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
Nation Building is a PAINFUL PROCESS. To manage the strengths, mistrusts, distrusts, threats, vulnerabilities of disparate people is TOUGH.
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) September 24, 2015
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