@53:Nigeria's Problems Surmountable-Leaders

FIFTY three  years after independence, Nigerian leaders were unanimous, yesterday, that the challenges facing the country are resolveable and there is need to cement the country’s unity. They also agreed that there is need for a national conference for the people to dialogue and agree on the terms to boost the country’s unity and address her plethora of problems.

We’ve made progress –Mark

Senate President David Mark assessed the progress of Nigeria since the journey of its independence in 1960 and concluded that the country had fared well enough to deserve commendation.

Senate President, David Mark

In a goodwill message by his Chief Press Secretary, Paul Mumeh, the Senate President said: “We are yet to get to the level of our dreams, nobody can deny the fact that we have recorded some landmark achievements since the colonial masters left our shores.

”Besides the infrastructural developments across the country, we now have skilled and qualified manpower in virtually all fields of human endeavour.”

He therefore, implored Nigerians to renew hope and faith in the “capacity and capabilities of our people to rise to a level where citizens could enjoy an internationally acceptable standard of living, thus earning the status of a developed nation.”

Our challenges are surmountable — Tambuwal

House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, said though Nigeria was passing through tough times, the challenges confronting the nation were surmountable.

He said as the country celebrates its 53rd independence anniversary, all hands must be on deck to foster unity, peace and reconciliation.

*Tambuwal

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, Tambuwal said all Nigerians must work tirelessly to promote the tenets of democracy, good governance and responsible citizenry.

He appealed to the political elite to moderate their utterances and be mindful of their responsibility to the country.

We’re yet to have Nigeria of our dream — Mbazulike

Pre-Independence and First Republic politician and elder statesman, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, who also fought for Nigeria’s independence, lamented that we are yet to have Nigeria of his dream.

Asked how he sees Nigeria 53 years after independence, he said: “Of all the nationalists and ministers from Southern Nigeria, East or West, I’m the last person left. I’m the only one alive. What I have to say is that this is not the Nigeria we fought for, it’s not the Nigeria that many of us died for, it’s not the Nigeria many of our youths want to be with, it’s not the Nigeria that our founding fathers like Azikwe, Awolowo, Okotie-Eboh and others dreamt of.

No, you see the military damaged everything. They stayed too long. For 38 years the military ruled this country. They disrupted everything. Even the people who are leaders in this so-called democratic dispensation are working in the footsteps of the military. ”

He canvassed a national conference for the people of Nigeria to give themselves an acceptable constitution.

We can make Nigeria great —Amosun

Gov Ibikunle Amosun

Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, congratulating Nigerians on the celebration called on citizens to keep hope alive and live in peace with one another so that the country could overcome its challenges.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mrs Funmi Wakama, Senator Amosun said: “The nation has reasons to appreciate God in spite of the current challenges.”

Nigeria’s overcoming her challenges —Ekweremadu

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu said that though the country had missed some opportunities and is faced with many challenges, it is also overcoming the challenges.

Ike Ekweremadu

He said: “I call on all Nigerians to join the present crusade to reinvent and transform Nigeria; and in this wise, I urge hope, courage, perseverance, prayers, reconciliation, peaceful-coexistence, and patriotic fervour to build the Nigeria of our dreams as no one else would do that for us.”

Nothing to celebrate –Ankio Briggs

Rights activist, Ms Ankio Briggs, said there is nothing to celebrate at 53. She, however, said there was basis for Nigeria’s unity if the people could be allowed to dialogue.

“We have basis for Nigeria’s unity in the sense that it’s our choice. It should be our choice and it will be our choice because that’s why we have these discussions going on now. I believe Nigeria can be a great country and that Nigerians can live together. Nobody is saying we shouldn’t live together. We are saying how? Who brings what? Who owns what? Who controls what? How much should I bring? How much should you bring? How much of your own should you keep? What if we keep everything and pay something to the centre? These are the things we need to look at together,” she said.

Military not the cause of our woes –Dan Suleiman

Former member of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) and former ambassador to Russia, Air Commodore Dan Suleiman (rtd) said there is no alternative to unity and urged those blaming the military for stunting Nigeria’s growth to have a rethink. He said a national conference will help Nigerians discover their mistakes and correct them.

Commenting on claims that the military destroyed the foundation of Nigeria’s democracy, he said: “Does it mean that democracy is the answer to our many problems? If so, why are we having these ills today? Are we having a military regime? Are we having military governance? But yet, we are still having these ills. So, it will be wrong to put the blames only on the military.

The people who are looking for scapegoats are putting the blames only on the military. The military did their best. Most of the infrastructure standing in this country today were put in place during the military days. What the government of today should do is to improve on them.”

To cement Nigeria’s unity, he said a national conference is necessary because it is an avenue “where Nigerians from all sectors of life can come out to work out how we should live together. If we are saying that the amalgamation was a mistake, then, only a conference can spot out these mistakes and correct it to produce a Nigeria that will favour all of us.”

We need true democracy, national cohesion –Gov Amaechi

In like manner, Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, urged national cohesion and true democracy.

Amaechi in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. David Iyofor, said: “No democracy can grow in the face of unending conflicts and in the midst of impunity.

Amaechi

Nigeria is one country in spite of our varying cultures, religion and ethnic nationalities and we can only succeed as a nation if we stand united. As we mark this year’s Independence Day, let us all reflect on the dynamics of true democracy and work towards improving our national life,” he urged

Nigerians must make sure that the Presidency of this country reflects federal character. We have six geo-political zones. Every geo-political zone can produce a president.

I don’t see why Nigerians can’t be bold enough to put rotation of the presidency in the constitution among the six geo political zones. There is need for a conference that will reduce acrimony and rancour that characterise the polity. Nigerians must work it out. This is very important because every part of this country needs to have a sense of belonging.”

Nigeria still battling with teething problems – Onyema

To chairman of the Federation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN) and facilitator of the amnesty programme for former Niger Delta militants, Mr. Allen Onyema, Nigeria had come a long way but it is sad that it is still battling teething problems at 53.

His words:  “We have come a long way, but one is not totally happy. There are signs of danger looming. Certain things are not done properly. At 53, Nigeria has attained serious adulthood yet, it’s still grasping with issues that should have been addressed some 30 years ago. Some of the issues that the present administration is addressing today are issues that should have been addressed some 30 years ago.

So, you can trace our problems not just to bad governance over the years, but to the attitude of the governed themselves. It’s nothing to write home about. May be, the attitude of the military regime did a lot havoc to this country. That is why at all times democracy is better than the best military regime.

“Most of the problems this government is trying to tackle today are things that should have been done years back. For example: airports. Nobody will believe that a country like Nigeria will be running the kind of poultry farms we regard as airports.

They looked like poultry farms before this regime came in. Our railways for the past 30 years have never been attended to. It’s being done now. Institutions were not allowed to grow. Instead, what we had were powerful individuals as presidents or heads of state. And no country makes progress anywhere in the world where we have powerful individuals with weaker institutions. So, this is part of the impediment to the growth and development of this country.”

Nigeria won’t break-up –Ndoma-Egba

Senate Majority Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, urged Nigerians to shun acts that could dismember the country and countered comments that the amalgamation of the country was a forced marriage.

*Ndoma Egba

Asked how far we have we fared as a united nation and whether the country should continue to be one, he said: “It could be a nightmare for Nigeria breaking up. I personally have strong faith in the unity of Nigeria, that our unity is invaluable.

That unity cannot be violated, so I believe that all these prophecies by doomsday prophets that Nigeria will break up will fail. It is not the first time we are hearing all those prophecies, it has always been there. Nigeria survived a very brutal civil war, so I don’t see any fundamental issues that will lead to the disintegration of Nigeria in spite of the wishes of the doomsday prophets. Nigeria will remain one strong and united country.”

We must not compromise our unity –Mimiko

On his part, Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko said all hands should be on deck to ensure that the nation’s unity is not compromised.

In his congratulatory message to Nigerians, he said the nation’s unity is her strength and that everything should be done to safeguard it.

In the statement, signed by the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode Akinmade, the governor asked Nigerians not to despair about the current state of the nation, but be optimistic because there will be light at the end of the tunnel.
We deserved more than we’ve achieved –CAN

Rejoicing with Nigerians on Independence Day, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), however, said that as leader of the African continent, Nigeria deserved more than she has attained so far.

Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor

In a statement by its President, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, CAN said Nigeria was yet to achieve the desired standard of conduct and performance envisaged by her founding fathers and expressed a strong hope that development would come as soon as all the challenges inhibiting her progress were surmounted.

“We must keep hope alive. We are still together and would be together. There has been modest improvement and development. It could be better. But the atmosphere is not encouraging enough to hold those administering the country accountable, talking about the security challenges. We must all return to the path of sanity to be able to develop.

“We must return to the days of the earliest stage of Nigeria’s evolution by shunning stances that pose as challenges to our development, imbibe positive attitudes to changes that are in line with global standards because Nigerians should begin to be assigned credits that change particular negative circumstances to good, no matter the challenges facing us as a nation,” Oritsejafor said.

We must avoid the road to Syria, Egypt—Kachako

Third Republic Senator, Isa Kachako, 73, who represented Kano South Senatorial District, said Nigerians must work hard to cement their unity and continue to play their vital roles in the continent of Africa and the world in general.

Kachako

“My message is let’s live together. Every Nigerian should work hard, love one another and learn to help one another with our resources. We should not toe the line of Syria and Egypt. They have the same languages, the same religion, but see how they are messing up because of agents of confusion.”

Our future remains bright –Ihedioha
Also speaking, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, said that Nigeria’s future remained bright in spite of challenges of national development.

In a message by his Chief Press Secretary, Oke Epia, he asked Nigerians to remain optimistic and committed to making the country realize her potentials and achieve her God given destiny.
He said: “Let us not despair in the face of daunting challenges even if though at 53, we ought to have surpassed certain minimum expectations.

Nigeria remains ours to build and we must continue to maintain hope and optimism. Nigeria will achieve her destiny and realize the lofty dreams of our founding fathers if we keep an attitude of resilience and determination to succeed.”

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