INDEPENDENCE DAY ADDRESS BY HIS
EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON
THE OCCASION OF NIGERIA’S SIXTIETH INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY, THURSDAY 1ST
OCTOBER 2020
Fellow Nigerians
I speak to you today as your
President and fellow citizen on this epoch occasion of our country’s 60th
independence Anniversary. As President, I wish to renew my appreciation to
Nigerians for entrusting me with your hopes and aspirations for a better and greater
Nigeria.
2. Today, it is my unique
privilege to re-commit myself to the service of this great country of great
people with profound diversities and opportunities. We are bound by destiny to
be the largest and greatest black nation on earth.
3. At this stage in our
nationhood it is important that we reflect how we got here to enable us work
TOGETHER to get to where we aspire to be as a strong indivisible nation, united
in hope and equal in opportunity.
4. On October 1st 1960 when Prime
Minister Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa received the constitutional instruments
symbolizing Nigeria’s independence, he expressed his wish that having acquired
our rightful status as an independent sovereign nation, history would record
that the building of our nation proceeded at the wisest pace.
5. This optimism was anchored on
the peaceful planning, full and open consultation and harmonious cooperation
with the different groups which culminated in Nigeria emerging as a country
without bitterness and bloodshed.
6. Our founding fathers
understood the imperative of structuring a National identity using the power of
the state and worked towards unification of Nigerians in a politically stable
and viable entity.
7. That philosophy guided the
foundation that was laid for our young nation of 45 million people with an
urban population of approximately 7million occupying an area of 910,768 square
kilometers. These demographics led to development challenges for which major
efforts were made to overcome.
8. Today, we grapple with
multiple challenges with a population exceeding 200million occupying the same
land mass but 52% residing in urban areas.
9. Sixty years of nationhood
provides an opportunity to ask ourselves questions on the extent to which we
have sustained the aspirations of our founding fathers. Where did we do the
right things? Are we on course? If not where did we stray and how can we remedy
and retrace our steps?
10. Upon attaining independence,
Nigeria’s growth trajectory was anchored on policies and programmes that
positively impacted on all sectors of the economy. However, this journey was
cut short by the 30-months of civil war.
11. We came out of the civil war
with a focus on reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation that enabled
the country to put in place world class development structures and a
strengthened public service that well served the government. This positive
trajectory continued with a return to democratic government which was truncated
by another round of military rule.
12. For a cumulative 29 of our 60
years existence as a nation, we have been under military rule.
13. My summary of our journey so
far as a nation is necessary to appropriately chart where we need to go and how
to get there TOGETHER.
14. Today, I am aware that our
economy along with every single economy in the world is in crisis. We still
face security challenges in parts of the country, while our society suffers
from a high loss of moral rectitude which is driven by unbridled craving for
political control.
15. An underlying cause of most
of the problems we have faced as a nation is our consistent harping on
artificially contrived fault-lines that we have harboured and allowed
unnecessarily to fester.
16. In addition, institutions such
as civil service, police, the judiciary, the military all suffered from a
general decline.
17. We need to begin a sincere
process of national healing and this anniversary presents a genuine opportunity
to eliminate old and outworn perceptions that are always put to test in the lie
they always are.
18. The stereotype of thinking of
ourselves as coming from one part of the country before seeing ourselves as
Nigerians is a key starting point to project us on the road to our deserved
nation’s evolution and integration.
19. To start this healing
process, we are already blessed with the most important asset any nation
requires for such – OUR PEOPLE – and this has manifested globally in the
exploits of Nigerians in many fields.
20. It has been demonstrated time
and time again that Nigerians in the diaspora frequently excel in science,
technology, medicine, sports, arts and many other fields.
21. Similarly, the creativity,
ingenuity and resourcefulness of the Nigerian at home have resulted in globally
recognized endeavours.
22. I am convinced that if we
pursue our aspirations TOGETHER we would be able to achieve whatever we desire.
That informed our adopting the theme TOGETHER to mark this epochal event.
23. Together we can change our
condition for the better and more importantly, together we can do much more for
ourselves and for our country.
24. I chose the path of
self-reflection because this is what I do on a daily basis and I must confess
that at most times, I always felt the need for a collective reflection as I
know that the foundation for a solid future which this administration is laying
can only be sustainable if there is a collective commitment by Nigerians.
25. Nigeria is not a country for
Mr. President, any ruling or opposition party but a country for all of us and
we must play our part, irrespective of challenges we face, to make this country
what we desire.
26. To achieve this, we must
focus our minds, TOGETHER as a people, on ways of resolving the identified
critical challenges that underlie our present state. These include:
a. Evolving and sustaining a
democratic culture that leaves power in the hands of the people;
b. Supporting the enthronement of
the rule of law, demanding accountability of elected representatives and
contributing to good governance;
c. Increasing our commitment to
peaceful co-existence in a peaceful, secure and united Nigeria;
d. Harnessing and Optimizing our
tremendous human and natural resources to attain our goal of being in the top
twenty economies of the world and in the process;
e. Lifting 100 million Nigerians
out of poverty in 10 years;
f. Strengthening institutions to
make them stronger in protecting National Interests; and
g. Imbibing tolerance in
diversity.
27. I am a firm believer in
transparent, free, fair and credible elections as has been demonstrated during
my period as a democratically elected President.
28. The recent build-up and
eventual outcome of the Edo State elections should encourage Nigerians that it
is my commitment to bequeath to this country processes and procedures that
would guarantee that the people’s votes count.
29. The problems with our
electoral process are mainly human induced as desperate desire for power leads
to desperate attempts to gain power and office.
30. Democracy, the world over and
as I am pursuing in Nigeria, recognizes the power of the people. However, if
some constituencies choose to bargain off their power, they should be prepared
for denial of their rights.
31. This call is made more urgent
if we realise that even after a transparent, free, fair and credible election,
desperation leads to compromising the judiciary to upturn legitimate decisions
of the people.
32. It is necessary to, therefore
support the enthronement of the rule of law by avoiding actions which
compromise the judiciary.
33. Fellow Nigerians, our history
has shown that we are a people that have the capacity to live peacefully with
one another.
34. As a government, we remain
committed to our constitutional oath of securing the lives and properties of
the citizenry. I, however, call on the citizenry to also support government by
providing the necessary community level intelligence in addressing these
challenges.
35. In moving forward together,
it is important to strengthen our economy to provide sustainable means of
livelihood for as many Nigerians as possible so as to eradicate absolute
poverty from our midst.
36. I want to re-emphasize my
dedication and commitment, a dedication and commitment that propelled my public
service career and informed my quest to continually seek for an opportunity to
improve the lives of Nigerians, set the country on the path of prosperity and
lead the country to a better future.
37. This administration has been
focused on rebuilding and laying the foundations for a sustainable Nigeria. Of
course, we have met and are still meeting the challenges inherent in any
rebuilding initiative – more so that of a nation like Nigeria that has
undergone avoidable levels of deprivation – but can be surmounted if we all
work together.
38. I wish to re-iterate that our
people and our spirit of excellence remains our most important asset.
39. In this wise, the need to
return to our age-old ethical and high moral values would be necessary and this
informed my launching of the National Ethics and Integrity Policy on Monday
28th September, 2020.
40. The policy would not
implement itself and the first contact of the visibility of its implementation
is the Public Service whose on-going reforms would be expected to be
sustainable and give a radical re-direction in providing services to all
Nigerians.
41. Fellow Nigerians, in addition
to public health challenges of working to contain the spread of the
Coronavirus, we have suffered a significant drop in our foreign exchange
earnings and internal revenues due to 40 per cent drop in oil prices and steep
drop in economic activities, leading to a 60 per cent drop in government
revenue.
42. Our government is grappling
with the dual challenge of saving lives and livelihoods in face of drastically
reduced resources.
43. In this regard, sustaining
the level of petroleum prices is no longer possible. The government, since
coming into office has recognized the economic argument for adjusting the price
of petroleum. But the social argument about the knock-on effect of any
adjustment weighed heavily with the government.
44. Accordingly, in the last
three years, we have introduced unprecedented measures in support of the
economy and to the weakest members of our society in the shape of:
a. Tradermoni
b. Farmermoni
c. School Feeding Programme
d. Job creation efforts
e. Agricultural intervention
programmes
45. No government in the past did
what we are doing with such scarce resources. We have managed to keep things
going in spite of the disproportionate spending on security. Those in the
previous Governments from 1999 – 2015 who presided over the near destruction of
the country have now the impudence to attempt to criticize our efforts.
46. In the circumstances, a
responsible government must face realities and take tough decisions.
47. Petroleum prices in Nigeria
are to be adjusted. We sell now at N161 per litre. A comparison with our
neighbours will illustrate the point;
a. Chad which is an oil producing
country charges N362 per litre
b. Niger, also an oil producing
country sells 1 litre at N346.
c. In Ghana, another oil
producing country, petroleum pump price is N326 per litre.
48. Further afield, Egypt charges
N211 per litre. Saudi Arabia charges N168 per litre. It makes no sense for oil
to be cheaper in Nigeria than in Saudi Arabia.
49. Fellow Nigerians, to achieve
the great country we desire, we need to solidify our strength, increase our
commitment and encourage ourselves to do that which is right and proper even
when no one is watching.
50. Fellow Nigerians, let us
collectively resolve to continue our journey beyond the sixty years on the
clear understanding that as a nation we are greater together than being smaller
units of nationalities. By the special grace of God we shall come through any
transient challenges.
51. It is my sincere hope that by
the end of this anniversary on September 30th 2021, we will all be proud of
taking this individual and collective self-assessment for the progress of our
great Nation.
Long Live the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.
God Bless us all. Thank you.
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