The Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal had on Saturday, said corruption and poverty were harmful to national development.
The Speaker said this at a lecture on “Religion, Ethnicity and Corruption: Challenges of National Security” held at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
The lecture was organised by the Centre for Peace, Conflict and Security Studies, ABU, in collaboration with Students’ Representative Council of the institution.
Tambuwal, who was represented by Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Bashir Adamu, lamented the deteriorating state of the nation.
He said, “Corruption is not only in the public service but it cuts across all segments including schools, businesses and even our homes.
“In the same vein, the unity of Nigeria should be a priority because the idea of separation is not an issue.”
He called on the need for Nigerians to exploit all necessary avenues in order to ensure that peace and unity take a central stage in the country.
“For democracy to succeed, people must learn to accommodate, tolerate and embrace one another,” Tambuwal said.
In his speech, the ABU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, noted that national conflicts come from ward, local and state levels.
Mustapha, who was represented by Prof. Adebayo Joshua, Dean, School of Post-Graduate Studies, assured the centre of the institution’s support.
The guest speakers, Prof. Aminu Mohammed-Dorayi, of the Institute of Security Studies and Dr. Abubakar Saddiq-Muhammad of the Political Science Department, ABU, advised Nigerians not to use religion and ethnicity as a means of achieving political goals.
The guest speakers also described lack of energy as a threat to national security and called for urgent measures to address the problem.
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