President Bola Tinubu has urged leaders across all levels to build bridges of unity and prioritise dialogue as a tool for resolving differences and promoting national cohesion.

Mr Tinubu, represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, made the call on Monday in Lokoja at the Kogi Dialogue, which was part of events to mark Governor Ahmed Ododo’s one year in office.

The president said, “Dialogue is not just an opportunity to air grievances. It is the true path to justice, reconciliation, and understanding. Without dialogue, history will pass us by, leaving us abandoned by time and forgotten by progress.”

He commended Mr Ododo for the launch of the dialogue and described it as “a spark of wisdom and a critical step toward fostering reconciliation and progress.”

According to him, unity is the only formula for national progress. The president also urged leaders to draw lessons from the natural confluence of River Niger and River Benue in Lokoja.

Mr Tinubu said the confluence of the two rivers in Kogi was a metaphor for the collective strength required to navigate Nigeria’s challenges and foster unity and collaboration for national prosperity.

He particularly appealed to political and community leaders to be more amenable and unified in their support for the government to create the needed environment for growth.

Mr Tinubu, however, said that although there were challenges with governance in turbulent times, such as economic pressures and security threats facing the nation, true leadership was tested in tumultuous times.

He called on the people of Kogi and Nigeria to see themselves as “threads in the intricate fabric of progress.”

The Kogi governor urged residents to remain committed to the growth and development of the state, leveraging the opportunities and resources available.

(NAN)