Yakubu Dogara, former speaker, House of Representatives, has said that with unity, Nigeria will surmount all challenges and achieve its target of being a great nation.

Mr Dogara stated this on Saturday in Langtang, Langtang North Local Government of Plateau, at the celebration of the Tarok Cultural Annual Festival, 2024.

The former speaker said that a united Nigeria would be an indomitable nation and that anything that the country focused on would be possible to achieve.

He said that the country’s diversities were sources of strength rather than weakness, as many people erroneously believe.

“God himself is the God of diversity; you can see how diverse we are. If you look at the ecosystem, all the animals that live in it are all different species living in a symbiotic relationship.

“Our diversity shouldn’t be a source of weakness; it should be a source of strength if we agree to come together.

“Anybody who tells us that we can keep expanding our differences and still build a civilisation is either a fool himself or he is taking you for a fool because he will have no historical or empirical point to make.

“When the Roman Empire was united, they almost conquered the whole known world, but there was no invading army that defeated Rome as an empire; it was division from within that destroyed Rome.

“So, if we have divisions, the Tarok Nation will be destroyed; if we have divisions on the Plateau, we have seen what ethnoreligious crises have caused for years on the Plateau,’’ he stated.

Mr Dogara further said that if Nigerians were determined to work together, build bridges, and connect with one another, the country would conquer all its challenges.

He urged the Tarok people and their guests to agree to be peace ambassadors and start by working for peace and unity in Tarok land and extending it to Plateau and Nigeria.

He lauded the organisers of the festival for deciding to launch a community university, saying that today’s world has migrated from the surface of the earth to what was buried in the brains of the people.

According to him, the future was for those who would develop themselves educationally and seek knowledge.

Sen. Simon Lalong (APC/Plateau South) said that culture and tradition remain the bedrock of every society and a way of showcasing the most important aspects of human existence.

Mr Lalong said that he was impressed with the choice of the 2024 Tarok Cultural Festival, “Tarok Unity in Diversity: Our Culture, Our Identity,” as it emphasised the importance of unity among the people of every tribe.

The immediate past governor of Plateau, who was represented by Nanven Nimyel, said that the Tarok people have shown over time that they were people bound together in one accord.

Danjuma Sheni, president of the Tarok Development Association, also known as Ngwang Ishi Otaroh (NIO), pleaded with politicians to rise above the politics of division and bitterness and embrace the politics of development and progress.

“Our people deserve leaders who prioritise the well-being and prosperity of our community above anything else.

“Let us set aside personal differences and ambitions that will only serve to divide us. Instead, let us unite and focus our energies on initiatives and policies that will uplift our people and transform our land,’’ he advised.

Mr Sheni said that the vision for a community university in Tarok Land was backed by a strong rationale and the need for higher educational opportunities within the community.

(NAN)