Nigeria invites UN secretary to centenary celebration

The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on
Thursday received a letter of invitation from
President Goodluck Jonathan to attend activities
marking the nation’s centenary scheduled for
February 27.
The UN Correspondent of the News Agency of
Nigeria reports that the UN Deputy Secretary-
General, Jan Eliasson, received the invitation on
behalf of Ban who was in Kuwait for a fund raising
conference to support the Syrian people.
However, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, Amb. Martin Uhomoibhi, delivered
the invitation also accompanied by Nigeria’s
Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Joy
Ogwu and the Deputy Permanent Representative to
the UN, Amb. Usman Sarki.
Speaking with reporters, Uhomoibhi described the
letter as “a very special letter from Mr. President,
inviting the UN Secretary-General to do all he can
to be present at the centenary celebration.
“There is a role for the Secretary-General’s office
to deliver a goodwill message for Nigerians.
“The letter also contained a concept paper
describing in very meticulous detail the importance
which Nigeria ascribes to the celebration and the
need for the UN to reinforce this commitment and
the belief of Nigeria that our great country is
committed to peace, democracy and good
government.
“It also stresses the need to remain a united,
strong and indivisible country for many, many
years to come.”
Uhomoibhi added that “the reception was warm,
the reception was very cordial and we have it on
good record that they will give it very serious
consideration, based on this personal delivery of
this message to the Secretary-General”.
Responding to questions on whether the passage of
anti-homosexuality law by government would not
discourage the UN Secretary-General from
honouring the invitation, the Permanent Secretary
said there was no linkage between anti-gay
legislation and the celebration.
“Absolutely not and I do not see any reason
whatsoever why a nation such as ours that has
played an important role in the development of the
human race can be summarised negatively in
terms of one piece of legislation, a legislation which
an independent country such as Nigeria has
decided to effect because it considered it to be in
its own interest.”
Also on what difference the centenary celebration
would make in the political structure of Nigeria in
view of speculations regarding the likely
consequences, Uhomoibhi said he believed this
was the problem of the elite.
According to him, such imaginations are the
problems of the elite, saying “we should not
deceive ourselves on how the average Nigerian
feels about his country”.
“The tragedy is that these elite are so blinded in
their views, yet they know that they know they are
nothing without Nigeria; yet they exploit Nigeria to
their own selfish advantage.
“The average Nigerian is committed to Nigeria and
does not conceive of such illusions or delusions of
the fragmentation of the nation.
“You recalled that six years after independence as
a nation, Nigeria fought a war of unity not a war to
break but a war to unite and it has not changed.
“There are very many things that bind our country
together than what the elite who are fighting for
their own selfish reasons would want to claim. But
the truth is Nigeria will remain strong; Nigeria will
remain united
“Nigeria will be a lesson and will present a lesson
to the rest of humanity on how to build a complex
society such as ours into one strong united polity.
“A nation is a dynamic entity, Nigeria is changing
and evolving and getting better in forging the pillar
of unity.
“No country, not even the U.S., including those
countries that have been around for 200 and more
years, that have experienced full development
without issues confronting them as a people;
nations all round the world are still growing.
“Nigeria is also developing and growing.
“What I am telling you is that Nigeria does it better
than most nations in the way that we confront
issues that bind us together and the nation
engages in dialogue and communication as we
seek to forge unity among ourselves.
“That is what we are doing in Nigeria and we are
doing it very, very well.”