Independence Day: State Governors call for renewed hope, nation building

State Governors in Nigeria have expressed hope, unity and nation-building in their various messages on the occasion of the country’s 62nd Independence Day Anniversary, Saturday.

In his message to mark the anniversary, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, noted that on this day in 1960, the shackles of colonialism were broken and cast aside, and Nigeria joined the league of independent countries, the largest sovereign black power on the earth.

He stated that although the country may not have fully attained the heights dreamed of by the founding fathers, “we still have every reason to celebrate this historic day”.

“Every 1st of October is a time to reflect on the journey of our nationhood, to rededicate ourselves to the task of nation-building, and continue to work hard at building a formidable nation in Africa and the world at large.

“I wish to pay tribute to all of our heroes, past and present, those who have laboured and sacrificed and all who continue to labour and sacrifice today.

“I wish all Lagosians a Happy 62nd Independence Anniversary. May the labor of our heroes past and present never be in vain.

“God bless Lagos State, God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Sanwo-Olu said.

In the same vein, Governor of Plateau State, Simon Bako Lalong noted that as Nigeria celebrates its Independence Day as a sovereign nation, ‘memories of the journey so far gives us an opportunity to take stock and rekindle our resolve to confront the challenges that we face towards building a greater society.’

The Governor said it is impertinent that Nigerians do not allow the challenges of the moment to stop them from highlighting and thanking God for the tremendous successes we have achieved over the years.

“It is therefore important that in this regard, we pay special tribute to those who fought for our independence, those who nurtured it, and all those who are doing their best to sustain it. We should continue to do our best to ensure that the sacrifices of these men, women, youths, children and people of various backgrounds do not go in vain.

“Nigeria is a great nation with abundant human and material resources comparable to very few countries in the world. These blessings have passed through different attempts to harvest them for the good of the citizens who are diverse in ethnic, religious, social and political orientations. Our diversity which in itself is a major resource has also put demands on managing our endowments to the point that many question whether it is a blessing or a curse.

“However, we should never forget that Nigeria’s diversity is in its greatest strength and not its weakness. Therefore, we should devote more time, energy and resources on things that unite us than our differences of origin which in most cases we have no control over. We should equally devote more energy towards ensuring that people are treated fairly, justly and with dignity that is guaranteed by our constitution. Plateau State under our watch presents this template of managing diversity.”

Lalong, therefore, used the opportunity to specially appreciate all citizens for their support and collaboration towards the restoration of peace and security in Plateau State over the years.

“While we do not claim to have achieved total success in eliminating criminal attacks, we have substantially overcome the wanton destruction of lives and properties through ethno-religious crises and other senseless attacks on our people. Thanks to our gallant security personnel, we have been able to tackle criminals and crises merchants who hitherto wreaked havoc on our State.

“We must reflect on the role that each of us must continue to play towards ensuring that we consolidate on the peace, security, unity and development of our dear State and Nigeria at large. When we all perform our responsibilities, then we can be sure of a great nation that we all yearn for”.

 Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola urged Nigerian youths to continue to seek better ways to fulfill their roles as leaders of tomorrow.

In his Independence Day message, Governor Oyetola congratulated the people of Osun and fellow Nigerians particularly on the 62nd Independence Anniversary of Nigeria.

“As a Government, we shall continue to spare no effort to provide quality, equitable and functional education for our students. We shall stop at nothing to move from flashes of success to making winning academic milestones a way of life. In furtherance of our belief that our best resource is our people, we shall continue to offer opportunities and possibilities to the people of Osun especially our youth to excel in all facets of life. I assure you of our Administration’s continued commitment to the growth and development of our State”.

Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa has congratulated Nigerians as the country celebrates its 62nd Independence Day Anniversary.

Okowa called on all Nigerians to unite and play their respective roles in rescuing the country from divisiveness, insecurity, and economic crisis.

“As we do this, I wish to assure the great people of Delta State that we will not be distracted from our goal to build a #StrongerDelta. We will committedly provide robust governance until the last day of our administration”.

As Nigeria marks its 62nd Independence and Gombe State marks the 26th anniversary of its creation, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya urged that ‘all hands must be on deck to foster unity, peace, security and understanding regardless of ethnic/religious differences.’

In a message marking both anniversaries, he said; “There is so much to celebrate, despite challenges confronting the country.”

The Governor added that particular reference was the unity of the country and the hope that the lofty height of greatness being sought was still within reach and accomplishment.

He, therefore, urged the citizenry to keep hope alive in the quest to build a prosperous state and nation as envisioned by our founding fathers.

The Governor who said that Nigeria was passing through tough times, occasioned by insecurity and others, however, said that the challenges confronting the nation were not insurmountable.

He called on the people of Gombe state and Nigerians in general, to rekindle their hopes and renew their commitment and love for the country.

Governor Yahaya also urged the people to see the greatness and prospects of Gombe state and the country as a motivating factor.

Underscoring the importance attached to the twin celebration, Governor Inuwa said “For us in Gombe State, it is a double celebration: we are marking the 62nd independence as a nation and the 26th year anniversary of the creation of our dear state.“

He gave the reassurances that under his leadership, Gombe state would continue to wax stronger in all facets of human endeavours, vowing to keep initiating people-oriented policies and programmes that will better the lots of the people and the state.