Fellow Nigerians,
Today is a day of celebration and
solemn reflection. It is the anniversary of the day Nigerians realised one of
the most cherished of human desires – the desire for freedom. We, therefore,
give thanks to and remember our founding fathers who laboured so hard and
sacrificed so much to build and bequeath to us this wonderful nation. It is our
duty to consolidate this great legacy.
2. On this first October date and
on the eve of the start of the general election cycle, we should do well to
reflect on what binds us together and the great strength our diversity bestows
on us. Ours is an ambitious nation, and, as citizens we have every right to
look forward to the future with confidence and optimism which are well founded,
considering where we find ourselves today.
3. There has been a steady
improvement in the security situation in the North East. We remain committed to
ending the crisis and make the North East safe for all.
4. Our thoughts and prayers are
always with the victims of the Boko Haram’s atrocities and their families.
Beyond that, we know that the goals of the Boko Haram terrorists include
capturing territories, destroying our democracy and denying our children the
right to education. We will not allow them to succeed.
5. I want at this point to pay tribute
to the men and women of our armed forces, the Police and other security and law
enforcement agencies, who have been working under the most difficult conditions
to keep the country safe. In the process, many have made the supreme sacrifice.
6. As their Commander -In- Chief,
I assure these our gallant men and women that I will continue to empower them
by deepening their professionalism and providing all the necessary force
multipliers and enablers required for them to prevail on the field. I am looking
into all reported cases of inadequacies in relation to their entitlements,
their welfare and those of their families.
7. We are diversifying away from
reliance on oil to increased manufacturing capacity, solid minerals
development, and agriculture.
8. Efforts are on course in the
Niger Delta to clean up polluted lands, restore hopes of the youths in the
region and re-establish livelihoods, and strengthen their capacity to guarantee
for themselves and for our country a brighter future.
9. The age-long conflict between
herders and farmers that was being exploited by those seeking to plant the
seeds of discord and disunity amongst our people, is being addressed
decisively. We will sustain and continue to support the commendable efforts by
all including civil society organisations, local and states governments and our
traditional and religious leaders in finding durable solution to this problem.
10. This being a transhumance
issue, we are working with countries in our region that are also facing similar
difficulties to complement our common efforts. In this context I must warn that
the perpetrators of murder and general mayhem in the name of defending or
protecting herders or farmers will face the full wrath of the law. Meanwhile,
we urge all peace loving Nigerians to reject any simplistic portrayal, at home
or abroad, of this conflict as either religious or ethnic based.
11. We are one of the countries
in the world most affected by environmental degradation, as a consequence of
climate change. We are signatories to almost all conventions and agreements
aimed at slowing down the effect of climate change and mitigating its now
evident consequences.
12. The consequences on lives and
livelihoods of the shrinking of the Lake Chad and the pollution caused by oil
exploitation activities alone make it mandatory on us to be at the forefront of
the struggle for a safer and more sustainable environment. We will continue to
mobilise international support for our efforts in this regard.
13. We are making progress in the
fight against corruption and recovery of stolen public funds and assets despite
vicious and stiff resistance. The shameful past practice, of the brazen theft
of billions of Naira is no more. Shady oil deals and public contracts that were
never delivered have become things of the past.
14. Consequently, and this is
very evident across the country, we have done more with less in infrastructural
developments. Roads, railways, major bridges, schools, energy and power, air
and sea ports, welfare of serving and retired personnel both civilian and
military including payment of legacy debt such as pension arrears, have been
attended to.
15. There is now an enabling
environment for local and foreign investment in Nigeria. We are building a
rules-based system – a level playing field that is free from fixers and
intermediaries. This is the cornerstone to help genuine investors and honest consumers,
and the platform that will allow for the real reforms that we intend to deliver
over the coming years.
16. We are gradually
strengthening the economy with a stable Naira and falling inflation rate. We
are building an economy that is moving away from over reliance on oil.
Consequently we have witnessed massive return to farms and seen bumper harvest,
despite recurrent floods across the country.
17. These positive developments
are the result of our collective pursuit of a common vision through hard work
and dedication, after the missed opportunities and disappointments that
followed the return to democracy in 1999.
18. At the forefront, have always
been our youths. They have been at the vanguard of the struggle for
independence. They fought in the war to keep the country united. And it was
they who kept alive the struggle for democracy and human rights in our country
at times when these were at risk, especially following the June 12th 1993
election and the historic 2015 election process.
19. Even today, our youths play a
central role in Nigeria’s continuing progress and developments in all fields of
our national endeavour –technology, agriculture, mining, engineering and
especially the creative arts. Together we are building a more diverse, inclusive
and self-reliant economy.
20. In the past three years we
have introduced many policies and programmes targeted at youth development and
youth empowerment. We support the ‘not too young to run’ legislation aimed at
giving the youths greater say in our national politics and governance.
21. The school feeding program in
primary schools is aimed at encouraging enrolment and attendance. We are
building on what we have already introduced to support schools and universities
to which funds have recently been released for upgrade of facilities, training
programs for our entrepreneurs, and rehabilitation schemes for victims of
terrorism and human trafficking.
Fellow Nigerians,
22. Now we have in our hands
technology that is a powerful tool that we can and should use for knowledge and
understanding. As with other countries, we must also learn how to manage those
tendencies that, instead, look to abuse new technologies to provoke passions
and stir tensions.
23. Never before have we faced
such a challenge. We must all rise to the responsibility of shutting out those
disruptive and corrosive forces that hide in today’s world of social media. We
need critical minds and independent thinking, to question and question until we
are satisfied we have the facts. Otherwise, all the progress we have made as a
democracy since 1999 is at stake.
24. I have committed myself many
times to ensure that elections are fully participatory, free and fair and that
the Independent National Electoral Commission will be exactly INDEPENDENT and
properly staffed and resourced. The ballot box is how we make our choice for
the governments that rule in our name.
Fellow Nigerians,
25. Developing a thriving
democracy is not an easy task. There can be no quick fixes or short cuts. These
are the most important lessons that we have learnt in our 58 years as an
independent nation.
26. At the international level,
we remain a responsible and respected member of the international community,
playing active positive roles within ECOWAS, the African Union and the United
Nations as well as all other regional and international organisations and
institutions of which we are members.
27. We will continue to support
initiatives aimed at addressing the challenges of our times: global and
regional crises and conflicts, terrorism, trans-border crime, climate change,
human rights, gender equality, development, poverty and inequality within and
between nations, etc. In this context, we are working hard to achieve both the
AU 2063 Agenda for socio-economic transformation of our continent; and the UN
2030 Agenda for sustainable development, which together aim at addressing these
challenges
Fellow Nigerians,
28. As we celebrate the 58th
Anniversary of our independence, we know we are on the right path. Although we
have our differences, they count for far less than the values, virtues and
common aspirations that unite us as a nation. We have so much for which we
should be grateful, and in which we should rightly take pride. Our journey is
not finished but we have come a long way.
29. I want to assure you that as
President, I will continue to work tirelessly to promote, protect and preserve
what really matters: a united, peaceful, prosperous and secure Nigeria, where
all, irrespective of background, can aspire to succeed.
Thank you. I wish you a memorable
independence celebration.
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