Nigeria’ll survive, Mark, others pledge

On the occasion of the country’s 54th Independence Anniversary today, leaders from across the country have expressed optimism on the realisation of the dream of the country’s founding fathers despite present challenges.

Among those who spoke, yesterday, were President of the Senate, Senator David Mark; Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of the House of Representatives; former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar;

the deputy president of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu; the deputy speaker, House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha and Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State among others.
Senate President, Sen. David Mark

Senate President, Sen. David Mark

Senator Mark in his message to the country advised Nigerians not to lose hope, saying that Nigeria was destined for greatness.

“We may not have been where we want to be but we have made appreciable progress and we can do more.  All we need to do is to strengthen our unity as one people with one mission and purpose.  The stable democracy has offered us opportunity to harness our abundant resources for good.

“Nigeria has passed through many challenges in the past and we came out of it.  The security challenges; this Boko Haram can be defeated if we unite to fight them.

Nigeria’ll survive — Mark

“I believe the Boko Haram terrorism or insurgency is alien to us as a people.  We have the capacity to defeat them and confine them to the dustbin of history.”

He said complaints and agitations among Nigerians arising from the structure of the polity could be addressed by government, adding, “we cannot correct perceived imbalances by taking up arms against our brothers, sisters and nation.

“We must, therefore, continue to shun individuals or groups that encourage, preach and practice division among our people.  We must shun every harbinger of hate and bond together as a people of common interest and destiny.

“As legislators we will continue to do our part to wit; provide the needed legislative framework for the Executive Arm of Government to continue to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people.

Tambuwal tasks Nigerians

Speaker Tambuwal on his part urged Nigerians to work tirelessly to promote the tenets of democracy, good governance and responsible citizenry.

In a statement issued in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Malam Imam Imam, Tambuwal appealed to the political elite to moderate their utterances and be mindful of their responsibility to the country.

He said with elections scheduled for early 2015, all leaders must avoid acts that heat up the polity. The Speaker reiterated his earlier calls that the people must isolate and expose all obstacles that hamper the attainment of peace, development, and progress of the nation.

Unfulfilled promises, challenge to governance – Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on his part observed that after 54 years of independence, the ordinary Nigerians were still lamenting what independence meant to their lives because of the widening gap between the leaders and the people.

In a statement issued in Abuja by his media office, the former Vice President noted that many Nigerians were concerned about how democratic governance has changed the quality of their lives for the better.

He regretted that the rate at which poverty was ravaging Nigeria was inconsistent with the vast resources available to Nigeria.

According to him, the country’s wealth does not automatically lead to better life if good governance is lacking.

Atiku said the rate at which unemployment is accelerating among Nigeria’s youth, creates youth restiveness, which itself lead to other social crises such as armed robbery and other violent crimes.

At 54, he said, Nigeria should have been counted among countries that have lifted its citizens out of poverty.

Atiku warned that unfulfilled promises leads to disillusionment, thereby creating disconnect between the leaders and the led.

On the country’s unity, Atiku blamed politicians for playing up the ethnic and religious differences for personal advantages. This attitude, he said, puts the unity of the country under a severe strain.

The former Vice President, however, noted that Nigerians should not lose hope in the country, stressing that the country could get out of the woods if leaders are elected on the basis of their competences rather than primordial considerations.

He said the consequences of mis-governance and poor leadership have no ethnic and religious borders.

Protect democracy,

urges Nigerians

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on his part, commended Nigerians for the enthronement of the current democratic dispensation, urging them to continue in their determination to sustain it.

He said: “At 54, Nigeria has made progress, as the people have through absolute determination and sacrifice jointly laid the foundation for speedy national transformation by achieving an unprecedented 15 years of uninterrupted democratic streak.

“However, celebrating our independence anniversary at the threshold of the 2015 general elections is also a call to duty to add to the nation’s democratic credentials and development by collectively working for a free, fair, and credible general election”.

The Deputy President of the Senate who also chairs the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution assured that the Senate would not leave any stone unturned in providing solid legal frameworks and all necessary legislative support to guarantee the success of both 2015 general election and subsequent ones.

He commended the President Goodluck Jonathan Administration for its determination in ending terrorism in the country as evidenced in the recent successes recorded in the war against insurgency

Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN) on his part also expressed hope saying:  “Nigeria will overcome present challenges, chief of which is the insecurity in the North east. We are certainly not where we could be and indeed should be. We could have done better but that is not to say that we’ve not made any progress. We’ve remained a nation.”

Fashola preaches peaceful co-existence

Governor Fashola in his  message advocated unity, peaceful co-existence, cleanliness and rule of law as the most viable means of building a virile and prosperous nation.

The governor, who expressed gratitude to God for preserving the nation thus far in spite of the enormous challenges in the last few years, added that the nation, more than anything else, needed  those values at this period in her history in order to consolidate the gains of her democracy.

Describing law and order as the building blocks of socio-economic and political stability of any nation, Fashola said Nigeria is greatly challenged today by the attitude of its citizens to the rule of law, pointing out that without adherence to the rule of law, the sustenance of her democracy could not be guaranteed.

Nigeria’ll rise again —Ihedioha

The deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Ihedioha on his part expressed optimism that Nigeria will rise again and claim her rightful place in the international community.

He said that in spite of current challenges relating to security and development, the country would be propelled to the top given the human and material resources abundant in the land.

Time for national rebirth—Methodist Prelate Uche

The Prelate of Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence Samuel Chukwuemeka Kanu Uche in his goodwill message said: “Those in elected offices should provide the strong and focused leadership required for this renaissance to take place. Nigerians have huge expectations, hopes and dreams, but our hopes are constantly being dashed which is why President Goodluck Jonathan has a compelling reason to deliver considering the overwhelming confidence reposed in him by Nigerians.”.

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