Director-general of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Olusegun Runsewe, has cautioned Nigerians against blowing the country’s problems out of proportion.

The NCAC boss in an interview on Sunday in Abuja, said blowing the country’s problems out of proportion was capable of hampering the progress and development of the country.

He said while the issue of insecurity remains a challenge, citizens must keep pushing while the relevant agencies work to tackle the problems.

“There is no country in the world that is 100 per cent free of insecurity, and there is no country in the world that does not have its own Boko Haram (insurgents).

“Also, there is no country in the world that would wait until the entire security network becomes 100 per cent before they start protecting what they have,” he said.

Mr Runsewe recalled that the council recently held a programme with over 52 countries in attendance.

“What does that tell us? It tells us that yes, we have challenges, but we do not have to wait until the last day of our challenges before we move Nigeria forward.”

Mr Runsewe called for a concerted effort by Nigerians to help the country navigate its challenges.

“The northerners have a proverb that says no matter how pretty someone is, the person will have to continue bathing to maintain the beauty.

“So, Nigeria is a beautiful country, and we should continue to bathe it to maintain it, in spite of the challenges and in no time, by the grace of God, we will overcome the problems.

“We sincerely hope that we overcome some of these challenges because no country can become a champion if it does not overcome its challenges.”

The director-general also called for respect for one another’s culture, saying it was a panacea to peaceful co-existence in the country.

Mr Runsewe said the different cultures in Nigeria had different ways of doing things, noting that every culture should be respected.

The NCAC boss, however, expressed his optimism that Nigeria would eventually overcome its challenges and take its pride of place in the comity of nations. 

(NAN)