Gov. Eno’s Aide Calls For National Integration, Commends US Govt.
Special Assistant to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State on Social Reorientation, Mr. Aniekeme Finbarr, has commended the efforts of the United States Mission in Nigeria in advancing good causes, investing in critical sectors, and deliberately fostering national unity and cohesion.
Finbarr made the commendations while speaking to journalists at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, on Friday after returning from the National Conference of US Exchange Alumni in Abuja.
He stressed that until more practical efforts are made to ensure citizens from different parts of the country interact in the course of executing good projects, the cries of marginalisation and ethnic tensions will increase.
“I must commend the United States Embassy in Abuja and their counterparts at the Consulate in Lagos for deliberately searching and hunting for talents in the country and offering them opportunities to go to the United States to exchange knowledge and culture.
“It cost a lot of money, but it is fruitful. My personal view of the United States has changed since my last IVLP visit, especially the experiences shared with professionals in my field.
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“That is what we should do too in Nigeria. We need interaction, more handshakes, and round tables in different sectors to grow national integration. When was the last time an average Igala person went to Birnin Kebbi to execute a project? Does the person in Maiduguri feel the warmth of brotherhood with his co-citizen in Uyo?
“National integration has to be deliberate to be achieved. That is why I call on everyone to develop and implement programmes that will aid that constant interaction. It will nourish the fabric of our national life and grow the spirit of patriotism, he added.
The 2024 US Exchange National Alumni Conference, which took place at the Abuja Continental Hotel from January 15–18 and had as its theme “Leading together, bridging boundaries for change,” attracted 80 alumni physical participants and over 13,000 virtual members.
Top US diplomats and staffers in attendance included Chargè d’affaires, David Green, Acting Cultural Affairs Officer, Peter Burba, Hannatu Sadiq, Omowunmi Onome, and Doyinsola Apalara.
