As Nigeria, today, marks its 64th independence from British colonial rule, leaders of thought from all walks of life, on Monday, proposed the way forward after years of missed opportunities and leadership ineptitude that led to the depressing socioeconomic malaise ravaging the country.
According to them, the challenges include mutual ethnic distrust, corrosive political environment, troubled judiciary, insecurity, convoluted federal arrangement, structural, social defects impairing nationhood.
Most of the leaders, who bared their minds on the issues were unequivocal about the precarious state of the nation, but are optimistic about better days ahead if it took pragmatic steps to tackle core issues militating against nationhood and prosperity.
There was also a consensus among them that prohibitive cost of living, frightening insecurity, weak purchasing power of most Nigerians, infrastructural deficit and poor governance model and index as part of the realities staring Nigerians in the face.
While many of the leaders were nostalgic about the strides of the first generation of political elites that led the country to independence on October 1, 1960, others are in pain and anger due to the collapse of those values that brought about the economic boom and prosperity that characterised pre and post-Independent Nigeria.
Nigeria still lacks progress in political inclusivity, electoral fairness – Atiku
Baring his mind on the independence anniversary, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, expressed concern over Nigeria’s slow progress in fostering political inclusivity and ensuring free and fair elections, warning that the country risks veering toward authoritarianism if urgent reforms are not undertaken.
While congratulating Nigerians on the occasion, he called for a collective effort to secure the democratic ideals envisioned by the nation’s founders.
“Our nation has traversed numerous tumultuous phases, yet the tenacity of patriotic citizens has fortified our resolve as a resilient entity,” the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku stated, acknowledging Nigeria’s long-standing democracy, the longest in the nation’s history.
The former vice president decried the weakening of opposition parties and the growing influence of the ruling party over the electoral process, warning that Nigeria risks sliding into a one-party dictatorship.
We must tackle frontally challenges undermining our prosperity —Senate Leader
Leader of the Senate, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, has appealed to Nigerians to downplay issues that divide us.
Bamidele, who expressed concern over mutual ethnic distrust declared that Nigerians, particularly the elite, should focus on what unites Nigerians as a corporate entity and shelve divisive tendencies.
“After 64 years of political independence and 110 years of corporate existence, onus now rests upon us all to focus our energy and intellect on what majorly unites us as a federation rather than what will further divide us along our ethno-political and religious fault lines.
Oborevwori says nation will surmount present challenges
Delta State governor, Honourable Sheriff Oborevwori, in his congratulatory message, charged Nigerians to work in unity to surmount the economic and security challenges facing the country.
In a statement in Asaba by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, the governor admonished the people to work in unison, irrespective of political, religious and ethnic diversities, to ensure the nation overcame its present challenges.
Oborevwori, who sent warm felicitations to President Bola Tinubu, Deltans and other Nigerians on the occasion of the anniversary, urged the citizens to support the government’s efforts at salvaging the nation from insecurity and economic downturn.
The governor said: “On behalf of the Government and people of Delta, I congratulate Nigerians as we celebrate the 64th anniversary of our country’s independence.
“As a country, we have been privileged to enjoy uninterrupted democracy since 1999 and it is imperative we continue to work hard in building on the gains of the last 25 years of unbroken democratic rule.
Support us with your prayers, Dep Senate president pleads with Nigerians
Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, appealed to Nigerians to continue to pray for the success of the present administration to turn around the country’s fortunes positively, appealing to them to shelve the protest being planned to coincide with the Independence anniversary day.
A statement signed by his media aide, Ismail Mudashir, Jibrin reiterated President Tinubu’s commitment to reviving the economy and tackling insecurity and other challenges facing the country.
“As we celebrate the 64th Independence Anniversary – the liberty from colonial rule, we must remember the enormous sacrifices made by our founding fathers: Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello and Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, among others, and recommit ourselves to the ideals they preached including the promotion of national unity, peace, justice and tolerance.
Operating model of courts needs complete overhauling – Agbakoba
In the spirit of the anniversary, a former President of Nigeria Bar Association, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), urged the new Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, to work very hard to rebuild public trust in the judiciary, therefore called for a complete overhaul of the operating model of the courts which has declined over the years.
Agbakoba said the first task in the quest for the way forward is to create a speed of justice programme because taking “up to 20 years for cases to crawl up to the Supreme Court gives little confidence to anyone, not least investors.”
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said the courts need new rules of procedure because the current rules were a modified version of the English rules, adding that to achieve a new modern operating model was not necessarily by appointment of a bench of new judges, but in the capacity and productivity of one judge, saying that judges should be enabled by transformational rules of procedure to work 24/7.
That Nigeria is still standing is among the gains —PANDEF
For the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), in its remark through the national publicity secretary, Dr Ken Robinson, said that Nigeria is still standing is one of the gains, but he frowned at the country’s inability to attain nationhood 64 years after.
“Firstly, we would like to commend and congratulate all Nigerians on the 64th independence anniversary of the nation. Despite the present harsh economic strains on the populace and the challenges of insecurity, there are reasons to congratulate ourselves.
“Perhaps, the most significant gain is that despite the mounting socio-economic and developmental challenges over the years, there’s still a country called Nigeria.
“We have had unbroken democratic civil rule for 25 years, with peaceful transitions of power from one administration to another.
APC has stifled fundamentals of independence – PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in its message to mark the anniversary, underscored the importance of the rule of law, accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of stifling the fundamentals of independence.
The party charging citizens to use the day to reawaken the spirit of nationalism in defence of our democracy and national sovereignty against the emerging totalitarianism allegedly being foisted APC.
The PDP also urged Nigerians not to surrender to the bullying tactics of the APC administration which it, observed, seeks to undermine the Constitution, emasculate citizens, compromise Institutions of Democracy and turn Nigeria into a fiefdom where APC leaders arrogantly carry on like lords and treat other citizens as conquered people.
Signed by Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary, the statement added: “The Independence Day celebration is not the symbolic marching at parade grounds, taking of salutes, inspection of guards and making of speeches but it is the freedom of the citizens to express themselves, pursue legitimate endeavors and freely participate in the process to choose those who lead them through an unhindered expression of their Will at elections.
It’s a story of retrogression after solid foundation by founding fathers —MBF
On its part, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) lamented what it described as the deterioration of the economy and democratic values, saying the 64 years of the country’s independence have been a story of retrogression and abysmal failure after the solid foundation laid by the founding fathers.
The national president of the forum, Dr Bitrus Pogu, expressed disappointment that successive governments after the First Republic have been unable to build on the foundation laid by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Nnamdi Azikwe, and Alhaji Ahmadu Bello, among others.
Rescuing Nigeria, a collective responsibility-Senator
Collective efforts and genuine desires by all to build Nigeria are what will make it a truly great nation, the Chairman, Senate Services, Senator Karimi Sunday, has said.
He said building the country rested on the shoulders of the Federal Government, the 36 state governments and the citizenry, which he insisted should synergise for Nigeria to occupy its rightful position among other global players.
Give priority to restructuring, Okorie tells Tinubu
Pioneer national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, ( APGA), Chief Chekwas Okorie, appealed to the administration of President Bola Tinubu to facilitate restructuring of the country.
Okorie, who recalled healthy competition and mutual respect among the regions in the First Republic, maintained that a re-jig of the political architecture was the only way to give genuine meaning to the political independence achieved in 1960.
He maintained that without “the political restructuring of Nigeria as an existential project without which the much awaited 2027 general election may end up as a mirage with irredeemable consequences.”
He said: “There was palpable joy across the length and breadth of Nigeria on October 1,1960 when Nigeria attained independence from Great Britain, now the United Kingdom without the bloodshed of any Nigerian citizen.
“Nigerian citizens were full of expectations of a glorious era and a prosperous future. Nigeria had a constitution that enabled each of its four regions to explore and exploit its comparative advantages for its citizens, while the revenue allocation formula was based on fifty percent by the principle of derivation.
“Nigeria was a quasi-federation, and competition among the regions was healthy. The country was developing at an impressive and appreciable pace. In a space of six years, between 1960 and 1966, the Eastern Region under Dr Michael Okpara as the Premier was rated as the fastest growing third-world economy. Unfortunately, the military coupe of January 1966, which toppled the democratic government of Nigeria, halted and embarked on a steady disruption of Nigeria’s growth and development.”
“The various military governments that followed bastardised Nigeria’s socio-political structure, which culminated in the imposition of the obnoxious 1999 constitution aimed essentially at making a particular section of the country preponderant over the rest of the country.
“The 1999 constitution of Nigeria forced down the throat of Nigerians by the General Abdulsalami Abubakar military junta is far more responsible for Nigeria’s deep seated division along ethnic and religious fault lines than the Biafra/Nigeria war that end in 1970 on a note of no-victor-no-vanquished.
The negative effects of the 1999 constitution denied Nigeria the benefits of its return to democratic rule.
“It is by the special grace of God that Nigeria has remained barely afloat and has not disintegrated. Nigeria is sitting on a tinder-box. It is with every sense of responsibility and patriotism that I advise President Bola Amed Tinubu to give utmost priority to the social and political restructuring of Nigeria as an existential project without which the much awaited 2027 general election may end up as a mirage with irredeemable consequences.”
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