The Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, has urged Nigerians to reject ethnic profiling, religious hatred and revenge to strengthen peace, security and national unity.
Speaking at the 80th birthday anniversary and public presentation of the autobiography of former Plateau State Governor, Senator Jonah David Jang, Shettima said: “A people at peace is the highest achievement of any government, because peace is the soil in which every other blessing grows.”
Shettima, who conveyed the goodwill and prayers of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to the celebrant, reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to a Nigeria where security supports economic opportunity and every citizen feels at home in every part of the country.
He particularly charged Nigerians to reject ethnic profiling, religious hatred, misinformation and retaliatory violence in order to build a secure, inclusive and prosperous federation.
Shettima stressed that sustainable development cannot take root in an atmosphere of fear, insecurity and distrust, noting that the economic fortunes of communities and states in Nigeria are closely connected.
He said: “No community flourishes in isolation. Prosperity cannot survive where fear reigns. A farmer in Riyom depends upon peace beyond his village. A trader in Jos depends upon roads that run through the towns of other men. The confidence of one state is the security of another.”
Describing Plateau State in northern Nigeria as “Nigeria in miniature,” the Vice President noted that the state’s diversity, aspirations, difficulties and recovery reflect the wider national experience.
According to him, whatever strengthens peace and development in Plateau contributes to the stability of the entire federation, while any setback in the state points to the unfinished work of national reconciliation.
Shettima condemned attempts to associate individual criminal conduct with entire ethnic, religious or regional communities, warning that collective blame enables criminals to deepen divisions beyond the immediate harm caused by their actions.
“No criminal represents his origin, his ethnic group, his religion, his language, his ancestry, his village or the innocent people who bear his surname. Crime has no tribe. Violence has no religion. Murder carries no mandate from any community,” he said.
The Vice President acknowledged that Plateau had endured years of violence perpetrated by criminals who invested in chaos, disrupted farming, weakened commercial activities and attempted to replace neighbourliness with suspicion.
Shettima praised the people of the state for refusing to abandon their belief in peaceful coexistence, describing their resilience as a quiet form of heroism that had earned the gratitude of the nation.
Paying tribute to Jang, the Vice President described the former military officer, governor and Senator as a father figure whose influence extend beyond the Berom people, Plateau State, his religious faith and political affiliation.
According to him, the worth of a life in public service should be measured by its impact on people rather than wealth, political authority or public applause.
“The secret of a life well lived is neither the fortune we gather nor the power we hold. Life is measured by the difference we make among our people. Wealth fades. Office passes from one hand to another. Applause is carried away by the wind. What endures is the good we leave behind in human lives,” he stated.
Shettima thanked Jang for the uniform he wore in defence of the country, the offices he held in its service and his continued pursuit of peace in Plateau State.
The Vice President also used the ocassion to announce President Tinubu’s appointment of Yakubu Jang, son of the celebrant as a Senior Special Assistant to the President.
Earlier, former Nigerian President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan said that the birthday celebration and public presentation of the autobiography is a testament to Senator Jang’s integrity and accomplishments as a leader.
He said Jang’s autobiography, which encapsulates the choices made, the challenges faced and convictions that guided his service to the nation in various capacities, teaches the younger generation of leaders the virtues of integrity, patience and peace.
In his remarks, the celebrant, Senator Jang, noted that his stewardship in public service was guided by the virtues bequeathed him by his parents and that “his greatest joy as a human being is not in the offices occupied nor wealth or fame but in the lives touched”.
Jang thanked the Vice President and dignitaries at the event for the honour of attending his birthday celebration as well as the public presentation of his memoirs.
GIK/APA