Leaders of the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere and their Igbo counterpart, Ohanaeze Ndigbo have commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his efforts towards restructuring the country for the betterment of all Nigerians in line with his renewed hope agenda.

They group made their position known separately in interviews with journalists in Yola, during the programme organised by the Gongola ethnic nationalities to honour some of their illustrations sons and daughters as well as political office holders across party lines elected in 2023.

Secretary General of Afenifere, Mr. Ebisimi Olusola, who stood in for the group’s national leader, commended President Tinubu for doing well so far in the last one year of his administration. He also commended the support of all Nigerians in the midst of ongoing hardship.

“The President has been taking bold decisions to restructure the country, adopting sound policies that will take Nigeria out of the brinks. I think he deserves to be commended and supported by all. Nigeria is a nation of different ethnic nationalities; and that was why the country saw the need to adopt federalism so that each component would have the autonomy to celebrate its own existence as we are witnessing here,” he said.

For his part, the representative of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, who is the vice chairman North of the organistion, Chief Kenneth Okeugo said the group believed in the unity of the country and will continue to work with other ethnic nationalities, irrespective of tribal or religious affiliations, to promote the country’s unity and development as currently being championed by President Tinubu.

Earlier speaking at the event, the guest speaker, Prof. Jerry Gana, represented by Prof. Saliva James, described the Gongola region as the bedrock of highly educated people who should discard their differences and chart a better course for the nation.

He urged elite from the various tribes in Adamawa and other states in the country not to allow primordial sentiments to divide them, as each should be given the opportunity to contribute their quota to the progress of the country.

The national president of the forum, Engr. Markus Gundiri, explained that the event was designed to celebrate excellence and foster unity and economic development of the indigenous groups within the Gongola enclave.

It was also to re-enact the long standing unity and togetherness which the people share as a common heritage and to also come to terms with the current economic reality of the nation and work out ways to navigate through and escape from its pains.