ANNIVERSARY,
1ST OCTOBER, 2018
 |
| President Muhammadu Buhari |
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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