Instil Tolerance In Children, NOSOP Urges Parents, Guardians

The National Coordinator, North – South Progressives Movement (NOSOP), Chief John Nwobodo, has called on parents and guardians to instil a sense of accommodation and tolerance in their children as they exercise their obligation in child training and upbringing.
Nwobodo, who made the call during the first 2023 National Officers Meeting of the association held in Enugu recently, said a situation where parents repeat negative narratives about other tribes and religions to their wards and children portends a far-reaching danger to peace and unity of the country.
He expressed regret that most Nigerians grow up having negative prejudices towards their peers from other ethnic groups, advising that Parents should begin now to speak well of other ethnic groups to their children for a more peaceful and united nation.
“By so doing , when the children have the opportunity to interact, they do so unrestrained and in mutual trust as opposed to mistrust or distrust.
“This event is convoked to lay a foundation for a better and united Nigeria through social ecumenism of peace advocacy. The event in itself is a bold statement that one Nigeria is a continuing possibility despite the inundating factors which often beset genuine efforts at inspiring faith in one Nigeria.
“Furthermore, members coming from all parts of Nigeria confirms our resolve to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign Nation under God, as enunciated in the preamble to the Nigerian Constitution.
“Against the backdrop of pessimism about one Nigeria by many of our countrymen and women, we feel a burning duty to stand in the gap and be the shining light as agents of unity and poised to quell and quench the voices of dissent”, he said.
Continuing, Chief Nwobodo explained that NOSOP was formed in early 2020 as a pan Nigerian, detribalized and non-partisan association of patriots with promotion of peace and unity as its core objectives.
“Most human problems are caused by man and those not directly attributable to man are aggravated by man’s activities. In the same way, our nation’s problems are man-made; caused by its nationals only to be solved by the practice of Nigerianism.
“The period of the recent electioneering and the general election tested our loyalty. For most Nigerians, their loyalty to Nigeria was overshadowed by their loyalty to tribe and religion.
“But with our presence in the 36 States and in the FCT, we have the structure and spread to mobilize the citizens towards a new orientation for peaceful co-existence and national unity, eschewing all divisive tendencies and building a common destiny through our diversity”, he further stressed.

By: Canice Amadi, Enugu