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Former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Reps, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and several governors in Nigeria, preached unity to Nigerians as the country celebrates its 57th independence anniversary on Sunday.
None of us is as great as all of us – Jonathan
In a message released by his spokesman, Ikechukwu Eze, the ex-President stressed that the country would surmount its challenges and emerge stronger.
“As a nation we are moving on. On October 1, 2010, we celebrated our golden jubilee as an independent nation. Again, in January 2014, we celebrated our centenary. And, today, October 1, 2017, we are celebrating our 57th independence anniversary.
“It may seem as though we are passing through insurmountable challenges, but I am very intimately aware of the can-do Nigerian spirit which will help us surmount our present challenges.
“Let me also seize this opportunity to call for togetherness, oneness and accommodation for all. We must accept the fact that none of us is as great as all of us”.
Nigerians would rather remain together to build a perfect union – Atiku
Former Nigerian Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, has urged Nigerians to use the Independence Day celebration scheduled for Saturday as a time of sober reflection and also to thank God for the strides made so far as a nation.
Mr. Abubakar, who said this via a statement issued by his media team, noted that despite numerous challenges, the nation was on a right path.
”On this October 1st, 2017, I congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari and all Nigerians on the occasion of Nigeria’s 57th Independence anniversary.
There are those that may say we have very little to celebrate and I will respectfully disagree with them. In 57 years, Nigeria has faced many challenges, but we have overcome many of those challenges and made progress in multiple spheres of human endeavour,” he said.
He noted though that there was still more to be done to achieve the nation of everyone’s dreams.
”A lot of work still has to be done to overcome the many challenges we still face as a nation including terrorism, the national question, sluggish economic growth, youth unemployment and a huge out of school population amongst our youth.
We must continue to work together to surmount challenges threatening our unity – Okowa
”However, these challenges are not insurmountable. Thankfully, the prevailing sentiment is that we as Nigerians would rather remain together even as we make positive efforts to build a perfect union along the lines of the vision of our founding fathers,” Mr. Atiku said.
Also, the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, on Saturday felicitated with Nigerians on the 57th Independence anniversary with a charge on Nigerians to work against violence and all threats to the corporate existence of the country.
In a statement in Asaba on Saturday by his Chief Press Secretary, Charles Aniagwu, Governor Okowa admonished Nigerians to be proud of their country and desist from acts that are inimical to the continued corporate existence of the country.
Okowa said: “On behalf of Government and the people of Delta State, I congratulate Nigerians on the occasion of the 2017 Independence Day celebration on October 1, 2017. Our people have enjoyed democracy since 1999 and appreciate better, the inherent gains of democracy, as respect for human rights and the rule of law. As Nigerians, we must continue to work together to surmount the challenges threatening to destabilise our budding democracy and undo the gains achieved in the past 18 years.”
Nigeria will continue to make progress – Wike
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has also felicitated with Nigerians on the 57th Independence Anniversary, urging all Nigerians to be committed to building bridges of peace and development.
He congratulated all Nigerians on the successful celebration of the 57th Independence Anniversary, noting that despite the challenges of nationhood, Nigeria will continue to make progress.
In a message issued by his aide on electronic media, Simon Nwakaudu, Governor Wike declared that the government and people of Rivers State will continue to work for a united Nigeria.
He stated that the state is not part of any agitation for secession, pointing out that Rivers people are committed to one, indivisible Nigeria.
Obaseki urges Nigerians to live peacefully and be broad-minded
Obaseki asked Nigerians to use the occasion of the celebration to embrace unity and peaceful co-existence.
The Edo governor said the joy of being independent people could not be qualified as it was capable of bringing limitless freedom and a high sense of self-worth. He pleaded with Nigerians to remain broad-minded, accommodating and living with one another peacefully, irrespective of our diversity.
He pleaded with Nigerians to remain broad-minded, accommodating and living with one another peacefully, irrespective of our diversity.
Let’s continue to work for peace, stability —Saraki
Saraki called for peaceful co-existence among Nigerians, just as he congratulated the country for sustaining her status as a united and progressive country.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, the Senate President urged Nigerians, irrespective of creed and tribe, to continue to work for the peace, unity and stability of the country.
He called on political, traditional, religious and business leaders to close ranks in order to initiate and implement ideas and strategies that would further develop the country and increase the standard of living of the citizenry, saying the task for a greater Nigeria is a collective responsibility of every citizen, just as he enjoined every citizen to believe in the project Nigeria and pray for peace and progress of the country.
Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, in his own message, emplored Nigerians to be patient and optimistic, as the country would surely overcome her challenges.
Ekweremadu said: “I am an optimist. As a matter of principle, I prefer to see the positive sides of life without also overlooking the problems also.
At 57, we have no doubt had our challenges as a nation. But we have also made progress. We survived a civil war to remain one country.
Nigeria would only attain greatness in an atmosphere of peace —Dogara
Dogara said that unless Nigerians shunned sectional sentiments and promoted national interest, the country would not achieve true independence.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, the Speaker noted that Nigeria would only attain greatness in an atmosphere of peace, unity and stability.
We can surmount our challenges if we collaborate, confront them – David Mark
A former Senate President, Senator David Mark called for a renaissance spirit among Nigerians as a panacea to the current socio-economic and political challenges, just as he acknowledged that Nigerians are passing through difficult times.
In a message signed by his Media Assistant, Paul Mumeh, Mark, who enjoined Nigerians to shun mundane issues such as ethnicity or religious differences that tend to create disharmony, said,”
We can surmount our challenges if we collaborate and confront them in a more determined, focused and honest manner”
We must restructure the country’s present governance architecture – Anayaoku
Chief Emeka Anyaoku, a former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, said Nigerians should celebrate 57 years of existence as a sovereign country but a must resolve to deal effectively with the challenges, some of which are existential, facing the country”.
Anyaoku said in his statement: “The undeniable reality of the current state of affairs in Nigeria is that the country since the civil war has never been as divided as it is now in the face of armed insurgency in the North East, a threat of secession by some elements in the South East, rampaging Fulani herdsmen wreaking havoc in parts of the country, militancy in the Niger Delta, an economy just recovering from recession and incalculable damage being done to the country’s development by massive corruption.
To effectively tackle these challenges and put our diverse country on the road to political stability and its deserved development, we must move from our present nominal to a true federalism, in other words, we must restructure the country’s present governance architecture.