Nigeria @63: Wike Calls For Collective Efforts To Rebuild FCT
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has called for collective efforts in rebuilding the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Wike, who made the call in his independence message in Abuja on Sunday, stressed that building a strong and resilient society requires collective effort. “It means working together to address the issues that confront us, be it in the areas of education, healthcare, infrastructure, or security. “It means fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship that empowers our youth and creates opportunities for all. “As residents of the FCT, we are not only Nigerians but also representatives of our nation’s diversity and unity,” he said. He reiterated the FCT Administration’s dedication to enhance the infrastructural development of the FCT and improve essential social services to meet the growing needs of residents. He, however, noted that this monumental task cannot be accomplished by the FCTA alone. “It is a collective endeavor that requires the active participation and commitment of every resident. “In this regard, I implore all residents to fulfill their civic responsibilities by paying their taxes promptly, including ground rents and utility bills. “These contributions are crucial for sustaining and enhancing the services and infrastructure that make our city function smoothly. The minister described Independence Day as not merely “a date on the calendar”, but a reminder of the sacrifices made by our ancestors. He added that the day was also a reminder of the struggles they endured, and the dreams they held for a united and prosperous Nigeria. “Today, as the FCT Minister, I want to call upon each resident of the territory to rededicate themselves to the vision of a stronger and more prosperous Nigeria. “Let us be reminded, therefore, of our obligation to society; our responsibilities as citizens extend beyond our rights. “We must contribute to the well-being of our fellow Nigerians and actively participate in the development of our communities and the nation. “In the FCT, where diversity is our strength, let us also remember our unique role as residents. We must live up to the tenets of unity that our capital represents. “Let us build bridges across cultures, religions, and ethnicities. “As we strive to make Abuja a great city, I call upon every resident to join hands with us,” the minister said.
As Nigeria Turns 63: No Quick Road To Nirvana
The President in his Independence Day speech on Sunday 1st October, painted the picture of a nation bent in the knee by the weight of its challenges but one nonetheless, that remains unbowed and undeterred from the task of building a virile nation worthy of its destiny. The president delivered a balanced, sobering yet hopeful message that Nigerians expect from their president. He reiterated his commitment to his reform agenda. He rightfully acknowledged the excruciating pain it is imposing on the citizenry, and announced new palliatives to ease it, principally due to fuel subsidy removal and the mind-numbing, wealth-devouring currency devaluation associated with ongoing effort to rejig the foreign exchange mechanism. The president therefore deserves our commendation for delivering a speech which is aimed at giving us a much-needed shot in the arm to bear the pain a little longer, with the hope for a future payoff in a better Nigeria. It is obvious that the speech writers did a lot of research into past U.S. Presidential state of the union speech particularly JFK and Reagan if one critically examines its tonality, inflection and substance. However, the President missed a great opportunity to prepare Nigerians for the long haul. He should have emphasized that given the gargantuan project of rebuilding a badly dilapidated house that his government is taking on, that diligence, patience and long forbearance, not speed must be the watchwords. The president who was a key player in installing his predecessor who did so much damage to the country might have been uncomfortable to acknowledge that the damage to our country has been long, systemic and all-encompassing. It would have amounted to accepting his own culpability (directly or indirectly) had the had the courage to admit that neither the political system, the civil service, the civil society, the clergy, religious nor our traditional institutions have been spared from our national rot and decadence. It would have taken tremendous courage for the president to tell the nation that what the country is embarking on is not the kind of patch work that can be done in days. Politicians by their trade after all, are often short term focussed, looking as the clock speeds up to another looming election. Telling the electorate to expect long term pain in the hope of a better future is not a speech that is often associated with practicing politicians. It is the reason, the “I have a dream speech” was given by Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and not be a JFK. No savvy politician will tell the electorate he has gone to the mountaintop and seen a brighter future but that he might not get there with them like King prophetically said in his speech. For politicians, pain is a dish served in small bites and intermittently. But if truth be told, Nigerians must face the reality that the road to Nirvana will not be easy nor quick. We didn’t get to this Hobbesian state of existence by leapfrogging and neither will we get out by it. Our suffering and pain might endure a long while but without it we have no chance. What we must do is to hold this government’s feet to fire to ensure that it stays focussed, on track and committed to its promises. This government must also take on this difficult task of holding accountable those who have egregiously plundered our country and pauperized the most vulnerable of us. There can be no way forward without the atonement for, at the minimum the most egregious sin. The president himself laid down the marker by singling out in his speech, the ongoing investigation into the CBN and the egregious criminality that was perpetrated by its previous governor. Yes, it is true that very few if any in the political class can be absolved of culpability in the decimation of our country. However, the abuses that have been revealed in the management of the CBN are so egregious that they cannot and must not be swept under the carpet. There must be severe consequences for their criminality even if it amounts to scapegoating. The many Nigerians whose lives were destroyed and the many who literally lost theirs due to the action of the former governor, deserve and demand it. Happy 63rd Independence Day to us all.
Nigeria @63: Soludo Renames Anambra Cargo Airport After Chinua Achebe
Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has renamed the state’s International Passenger and Cargo Airport after late Chinua Achebe, a novelist, to immortalise him for making an indelible mark on the history of human civilisation. Achebe was a native of Ogidi in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state and died on March 21, 2013 at the age of 82, in Boston, Massachusetts. Soludo said this on Sunday in Awka at the Independence Day parade to mark Nigeria’s 63rd anniversary, describing Achebe as an example of Africa’s unsung hero. “Achebe, a Nigerian novelist, poet, and critic, gave the African literature an identity and a voice and he rightly reconstructed and refined the identify of the people,” he said. The governor said that Achebe was not just an Anambra hero nor a Nigerian hero, but an African and global hero and yet largely unsung at home. He said that henceforth, the state shall be deliberate in fishing out and celebrating its largely unsung heroes as motivation to children and youths. “Unfortunately, some people wrongly think of legacies in terms of brick and mortar. Legacy is about impact on human life and human civilisation. “Achebe was not a president or governor or military. He did not build bridges or roads or airports but he will outlive most presidents, governors and ministers in our minds. “Achebe rejected Nigeria’s national honours twice in protest against what he perceived as injustice to his home state Anambra. Today, Anambra will finally honour him. “After wide consultations, there is a broad consensus that no one is more deserving to be named after the first airport in Anambra than Anambra’s all-time greatest literary gift to the world, Chinua Achebe. “Consequently, we will rename the Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport, Umueri, to Chinua Achebe International Airport, Umueri. “Yes, it has to be an international airport, and we hope to work with the Federal Government to give full effect to its international status,” he said.Soludo urged Nigerians to be intentional about making the project Nigeria work and believe in the potential greatness of the country. “We have muddled through the past 63 years with squandered opportunities and yet with the promise of potential greatness “No country or nation is a perfect. Every nation continues to struggle in its match to a more perfect union. The path to stability, growth and sustainability will be challenging as there are no quick fixes. “But all of us must collectively think and work Nigeria out of the current challenges. We have no other country but Nigeria, and we must make it to work for everyone, “he said. The governor said his administration was founded on the true progressive agenda and would continue to create the enabling environment for residents to thrive and survive. The police, paramilitary organisations and students from different schools took part in the parade.
Independence Day: Benue Govt Purchases 100 Buses to Mitigate Subsidy Removal Effects
The Benue Government says it has procured 100 buses to be handed over to the Benue Links, the state-owned transport company to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal on petrol. Governor Hyacinth Alia stated this in a radio and television broadcast as part of activities to mark Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Anniversary in Makurdi. Alia said he was aware of the sufferings of the people following the removal of fuel subsidy and other harsh economic realities in the country. “Our good people of Benue, I share the pains most of you are going through; and I assure you that your resilience and patience would not be in vain as this administration continues to reposition, as well as strengthen our institutions for good governance. I want to assure you that succour is on the way. “In the meantime, we have purchased 100 buses to be handed over soon to Benue Links, the state-owned transport company, to provide affordable transportation to the public. “In addition, plans are underway to distribute N50,000 each, to market women across the state, to enhance their petty trade businesses. “Our lofty visions, policies and strategies for good governance cannot be achieved in a society bereft of security of lives and property,” he said.Alia added: “No society thrives in the face of wanton killings, kidnapping, banditry, communal conflicts, and so forth.“The independent anniversary is a moment for us to salute our heroes past. It took valour, sacrifice and cohesive nationalistic onslaught for them to actualise our country’s political freedom. “It is important to thank the Almighty God for preserving us amidst several storms, some of which at some point within the last 63 years, threatened our very own existence as a country.“While we reflect in retrospect, it is equally pertinent for us to examine where we are, and look to the brighter future that lies ahead of us, especially in a State like ours that possesses allthe potentials of peaking us in the comity of states.”
Independence Day: Shelve Planned Strike, Nasarawa Speaker Begs NLC, TUC
The Speaker, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Alh. Ibrahim Abdullahi, has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to shelve their planned indefinite strike for the overall development of the country. The call is contained in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Jibrin Gwamna, in Lafia on Sunday. Abdullahi said that the strike would affect the socio-economic activities of the country negatively, hence the need for his appeal for more time and realistic dialogue. “I want to appeal to the leadership of the NlC and TUC to shelve their planned strike in the interest of peace and for the overall development of the country,” he said. The speaker appreciated Nigerians for their loyalty and support to the government since independence in the country. Abdullahi said that the progress and development achieved so far in the country was as a result of citizens loyalty and support to both the past and present governments in the country. The speaker congratulated all Nigerians at 63 and Nasarawa state at 27 on the successful Independence Day celebration and wished them more fruitful years ahead. “I want to appreciate our founding fathers for ensuring that we got independence in the country. “Since we got independence in the country, so far so good, the country is progressing and is moving forward despite our challenges, we are not stagnant as a nation and as a state,” he said. The speaker also urged Nigerians to use the Independence anniversary and reflect on the sacrifices of the nation’s founding fathers. He called on all and sundry to strive towards ensuring that the labour of the nation’s founding fathers were never in vain by contributing positively to the development of the country. Abdullahi also called on Nigerians to continue to pray for the nation’s unity, peace, progress and development. Besides, he urged the people of the state and Nigerians to support President Bola Tinubu, Gov. Abdullahi Sule and other leaders to succeed. “I want to call on Nigerians to continue to pray and support President Bola Tinubu, His Excellency Gov. Abdullahi Sule and other leaders to succeed.” The speaker further appealed to Nigerians to continue to remain law abiding, respect constituted authorities and live peacefully with one another for development to thrive.