- ‘Military has performed better than civilian govt’
Abbas Jimoh, Saawua Terzungwe (Abuja), Abubakar Akote (Minna), Abdullateef Aliyu & Christiana T. Alabi (Lagos),
A former Military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd), governors and some notable political leaders have asked Nigerians to be hopeful of a better tomorrow, urging them to live together in peace.
In their messages to the country as it marks 61st independence, they expressed hope and sought better working condition for security forces.
Leading the charge, Abdulsalam while noting that the country had attained a milestone that deserved to be celebrated, urged Nigerians to remain hopeful and firm, adding that Nigeria remained an indivisible nation despite its numerous challenges. Addressing journalists at his Uphill residence in Minna, the former military leader charged the federal government on equity and justice, saying that was the only way to keep the country united.
He said, “We have come a long way. Nation building is not an easy thing especially where you have more than 250 ethnic groups and each and every one yearning for a place in governance.
“We have made progress, both in terms of education, in terms of road infrastructure, which at the moment are dilapidated and need repairs. Nation building, as we saw it within the last 60 years is a tremendous job confronting the government of the day.”
Abdulsalam, however, said the best way to tackle the current challenges was through recruitment of more people as well as equipping the security agencies with modern tools.
“More could be done, by strengthening our security forces, by increasing the number of people who are involved in security detail. That means there should be more recruitment into the security forces, and equipping them adequately so that they could face the challenge of providing security of life and property in the country,” he said.
He commended the security forces for the sacrifice they have made in the fight against insurgency, armed banditry and other forms of insecurity.
He said within the last couple of years, the peace in Nigeria had been destabilised, pressed by activities of Boko Haram, armed banditry and kidnapping for ransom, stressing that it is an issue of concern.
Military performed better than civilian govts
The former military leader argued that the civilian regimes had not performed better than the military, pointing out that most of the existing infrastructure were built during the military regimes while the country was also more united under the military regimes.
“As military retired personnel, I will say the military has not destroyed this country in whatever way. The military fought to keep this country together, and you could see quite honestly, during the military regime, the infrastructure that military put in place. As much as possible, they tried to give a direction of nationalism.”
He said the military expected a more united country in 1999 when it quit the stage of governance.
Abdulsalam pointed out that agitations for cessation in some parts of the country were as a result of perceived injustice and lack of equity and inclusiveness in the governance.
He, however, accused the colonial masters of laying foundation for Nigeria’s underdevelopment.
We must promote issues that unite Nigeria — Buni, Oyetola
Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni and his Osun State counterpart, Gboyega Oyetola, asked all Nigerians to promote unity in diversity in the country.
Buni who is Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee in a statement yesterday in Abuja, by his Director General, Press and Media Affairs, Mamman Mohammed, said Nigeria’s 61 years of independence, provided a strong source of unity and strength.
“At 61 years, Nigerians should concentrate on issues that unite the country rather than divisive tendencies.
“We may have some challenges but we still remain a united country with lots of hope to prosper and attain greatness as a united country.
“We should remember that every country including the developed nations have their challenges, ours should not be an exception to contest our existence as a country and provoke our growth and development.”
Oyetola told newsmen on the occasion of his 67th birthday anniversary in Abuja that Nigeria at 61 was moving forward despite challenges.
“I think by any standard we have moved; we may not have achieved the level that we are thinking of as a nation, I think we are moving. Comparing us with other nations that had attained the same independence as ours may not necessarily be too good enough because you are not too sure of what they have.
“I think we are moving. We are not stagnant. We are challenged. For instance, the issue of security is a big challenge but that is not only perculiar to Nigeria, we have the challenges in other parts of the world,” the governor said.
Niger governor asks Nigerians to shun disunity
Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, called on Nigerians to shun all divisive tendencies and reflect on what unite them as a people.
In a congratulatory message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mary Noel Berje, to mark the 61st year anniversary of Nigeria’s nationhood, he said even though there were lots of misgivings in the country, Nigeria as a nation still had reasons to thank God.
He described the current security challenges state of the economy as worrisome, but saying that there would be light at the end of the tunnel as government, both at federal and state levels, were making concerted efforts to curtail the situation.
Sanwo-Olu urges secessionists to retreat
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, urged all those calling for secession of Nigeria to retreat, saying the challenges facing the country were products of complex and complicated past.
He also said that the Nigeria’s political, leadership tussle and trajectory were by no means unique while he advised Nigerians to summon the courage, energy and political will to face the problems confronting the country head-on and address them squarely.
Sanwo-Olu while presenting a paper titled ‘Present, Past and Future’ at the 83rd anniversary of Ikoyi Club 1938, said that critical stakeholders must learn from the experience of other countries to guide the present and create a future that is even better than what Nigerians envisaged.
PDP chieftain, George, laments state of nation, calls for calm
Also speaking, a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode George, decried the state of the nation, lamenting that despite the fact that Nigeria was blessed with enormous resources the country was still wobbling.
Speaking with newsmen in Lagos, George called on President Muhammadu Buhari to address the imbalance and what he called the seeming hopelessness among Nigerians before the 2023 election.
He said the 2014 National Conference had produced a workable document for the president to address the defects in the constitution.
George also touched on the insecurity across the country while tasking the government to address the root causes, which according to him, include poverty and joblessness in addition to equipping and motivating the security agencies.
George said the independence celebration called for deep reflection, adding that there was nothing to celebrate.
He lamented that ethnic bigotry and religious fanaticism remained the order of the day, advising that Nigeria’s diversity should be a source of strength.
CAN: Citizens‘ll get better deals
In its message, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said the country would not divide and the citizens would get getter deals despite the challenges.
President of CAN, Dr. Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, said the situation in Nigeria and of Nigerians looked like that of Israel and Judah in captivity.
“For the past years, bad and selfish leadership we have had largely contributed to the unfortunate state we are today. These bad leaders did not plan for the country to grow and if they did, they never make effort to implement the development plans,” he said.
Ayokunle said that while the situation appeared bleak, it was time to believe that there shall be showers of blessings because some people are praying for this country.
