Nigeria At 64: Nigerians Must Learn From Previous Mistakes – David Mark
9 months ago 2 min read
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Former Senate President David Mark has evaluated Nigeria’s history as the country celebrates its 64th independence stating that it is time for Nigerians and their leaders to correct their mistakes while reflecting on past errors and the negative results they have yielded.
“We must learn from our past mistakes,” Mark said in a message to Nigerians, according to a statement released in Kano on Tuesday by the former senate president’s media adviser, Paul Mumeh.
In the statement, Mark considered the nation’s progress to date and observed that despite the obstacles of general underdevelopment, poverty, sickness, and insecurity, Nigeria “is endowed with human and natural resources capable of turning the country’s fortunes around for good.”
“This is achievable if all citizens are patriotic and united with a common mission and purpose.
“Disappointing as the situation may seem, the shortcomings of the past should serve as useful lessons for progress.
“We must learn from our past mistakes and work towards a better future,” the statement partly read.
The former Senate President cited the Biafran civil war, frequent ethno-religious-based disputes, and the unpredictability of political interactions, to the shortcomings of the populace and inadequate leadership.
He, however, warned against recent aggressive remarks and divisive attitudes that may possibly worsen the already tense environment.
“Those who exploit our fault lines of ethnicity and religious differences to promote hatred are enemies of the country,” he said.
“Nigeria has made progress in some areas. Although we are not yet where we should be, we are certainly better than yesterday.
“This should serve as motivation for us to continue working toward a better Nigeria.”
He underlined the need for political leaders to set a good example and make the needs of the people the priority of their policies and programs while expressing optimism that Nigeria can overcome its current issues if all Nigerians would “unite and work together to address our challenges.”
Mark called for large-scale investments in businesses and manufacturing that would stop capital flight and generate new revenue streams.
“We need to create an environment where everyone can play his or her trade in any part of the country without fear of intimidation or molestation.
“We need to be our brother’s keeper at all times. I wish Nigerians a prosperous nation,” he added.
