Unity is the blond of concord and harmony that enhances the interconnectivity in any family, nation, club, social organisation, etc. It is togetherness and unanimity.
Unity is a cardinal and veritable weapon for concretising the zeitgeist and camaraderie of the people. It is a formidable asset for development and it heightens solidarity. It is so fundamentally intertwined with man that sociologists Edward Wilson said “The predisposition to unity is the most complex and powerful force in the human mind and in all probability an ineradicable part of human nature.”
The Psalmist and inspired writer, King David said in Psalm 133 verses 1 and 2 that “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard of Aaron”. Writing with decided perspicuity and force George Lyndon in his book Lost Hopes graphically vivified unity thus: “The hand of a child cannot touch the ceiling and the hand of a man cannot enter the gourd. It is only through compromise and unity that both can act together to salvage themselves from their inadequacies”.
The Nigeria nation was formed as a result of the agglomeration of different heterogeneous groups of people. The mechanics and dynamics of unity has been the magnetic pull that has kept us together, notwithstanding the trials and tribulations of Nationhood vide the Nigeria-Biafra Civil War (1967 – 1970), the Sharia imbroglio, Northern hegemonism, the restive youth of Niger Delta, the OPC, Boko Haramism and other civil strives. The love of unity has kept us together as a Nation. The Nigerian National Anthem, the National Pledge and the preamble to the 1999 Constitution, have as their main theme the importance of unity.
In the preamble to the 1999 Constitution, it states “We, the people of Federal Republic of Nigeria, having firmly and solemnly resolved to live in unity and harmony as one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign Nation under God, dedicated to the promotion of inter-African solidarity, world peace, international co-operation and understanding…”. The National Anthem talks about unity. It says, “The labour of our heroes past shall not be in vain, To serve with heart and might one Nation bound in freedom, peace and unity.” The pledge says “To serve Nigeria with all my strength, to defend her unity and uphold her honour and glory, so help me God.”
The love of unity has kept us together, notwithstanding the fact that the Nigeria nation is a colonial contraption. But we all love unity and that has been the saving grace of our great nation. In the United States of America (a confederation of states), the love of unity and liberty remains the leading light of America`s nationhood. America is the melting pot, that is because it is universalizing its nationhood, trying to unite the world. The preamble to the American Constitution states “We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty of ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for United States of America.”
The ghoulish experiences of mankind from attritional, internecine and fratricidal wars like the Hellenistic, Persian, Holy Wars, the 1st and 2nd World Wars, 1000 years War, Vietnam, Middle-East Wars, the American Civil War, Burundian Wars, Peloponnesian Wars, etc would have decimated the whole of mankind. But great strides by lovers of unity and peace has continued to lift the hopes of mankind for a united world. The League of Nations, the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the Organisation of Africa Unity, etc constitute some of the peace brokers in the various blocs of the world.
At family levels, the death of the leader in a family creates a vacuum and this gives rise to legacy hunters and luciferously ambitious brothers and sisters, etc to start an intra-and inter-family feud. Ultimately, the basis of unity in the family is destroyed and the family`s name and all the concomitants of greatness and continuity attached to it becomes rubbished. It smacks of maledictory portents in most families. This is the bane and Achilles heels of most African families.
The innate characteristic of unity is love, compatibility, mutual compromises, understanding and peace. Enforced unity will at the appropriate time burst its synthetic elasticity. It cannot be by tyrannical hold, but by sheer voluntary submission, because of mutual interest. In the old Soviet Union, the love of liberty compelled the Estonians, the Latvians and Lithuanians to break away. This also happened to the Yugoslavians who broke into Slovenians, Croatians, Serbians, etc. This is the defect of enforced unity. It must one day break up. But a unity that allows for all that want to live together to do so without oppression, but with mutual respect is consistent with the human nature. We are saying people can live separately by geographical spread. We are actually talking about unity of the human race by mutual consent and love for each other.
The world has become a “Soulless World” caught in the web of hate, spiritual and physical disunity. There is no love. Money has led to the dog-eat-dog syndrome that is tearing uterine brothers, uniovular twins, nations, states, families and organisations apart. The bliss, poetry and beauty of unity has been stifled. In 1988, Newsweek Magazine presented a report which proved that the genetic patterns of all beings are virtually the same. We are all one by God`s design. But why are we not together? No matter whose selfish interest is being served mankind most continue to strive to be together.
The walls of Berlin and Iron Curtain of separation between Western Germany and Eastern Germany has been pulled down; the Northern and Southern Koreans are on course towards unity; Northern Yemen and Southern Yemen are thinking in the same vain. Nigerians, after the civil war, are still together. The racist idea of colour superiority is a blatant farce. All homosapiens are equal. The Declaration of Independence, adopted by the United States of America in 1776, states that “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
The Declaration of Rights of man and of the citizen, adopted by France`s National Assembly in 1789 states that “All men are born free and equal in right”. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948 states that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”. Why are men creating disunity through superiority complex, arrogance and wickedness? Mankind is one big happy family created by God to live together in unity and love. But the whole world is completely submerged in social, racial and economic prejudices. The only way forward is for us to start re-orientating our thought patterns. To cultivate love and peace, for these are catalysts to unity. The leaders of the world, at family levels, states and national levels must begin to emphasise those things that unite us rather than focusing on wars, hate and armaments. As a common humanity we have so much to share, and learn from each other if we decide to live together in peace and harmony. It will monumentally enhance the basis of symbiosis upon which the world is built.
The Demonic instinct of inordinate greed is so prevalent that are thinking only of how to acquire so much for themselves to the detriment of the rest of mankind. This has greatly consolidated the roots of individualism amongst men. God has created a world that should luxuriate in abundance. But some have excess to throw around with splendiferous theatrics, whilst others are living in abject penury. There is more than to go round, but greed has stultified our altruistic senses. This is a terrible indictment on the state of our education, religion and conscience. The disdainful principle of “Every man to himself, God for us all” and “may the devil catch the hindmost” must be quelled completely. The pyramidal structure of unity can be greatly enhanced if we start from the nuclear family to the extended family. Then this is taken the ward, Council, State, National and International levels, with the underpinning belief that mankind is one big happy family. Let us not allow our quest for legacies, power, positions and money to becloud our love for one another. The pursuit of unity is further enhanced through a desire to forgive and forget and a desire to practice the great principles of reconciliation, compromise and magnanimity. No two persons are exactly the same in temperaments. It is therefore only compromise that can create a united world.
Finally, where inordinate and disdainful self-esteem, pride, implacability and superciliousness are allowed to hold sway amongst a people, it breeds rivalry among nations, which is mirrored by rivalry among individuals. This scenario will seriously destroy the foundation of unity. The desire to be number one regardless of how this hurts others emotionally or even physically promotes in families and nations enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, fits of exasperation, contention and divisions.
This is what constitutes the hallmark of disunity, for the Bible says in Proverbs 16:5 that “Everyone that is proud in heart is something detestable to Jehovah.” Lets get together and make our world a harmonious garden and a global village spiced with love and embodied with understanding, compromise and unity.
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