Nigeria at 61: Lawan urges unity, faith

Lawan, according to a statement by his Special Adviser (Media), Ola Awoniyi, said: “This is the first year of our seventh decade as a nation and also the second year of the third decade of the Fourth Republic.

“I find it remarkable that we are living in the longest era of democracy in our history as a nation.

“That may seem modest as an achievement but it is an additional cause for celebration in the light of our political experience.

“Every patriot will always remember with pride that historic moment on October 1, 1960 when the British Union Jack was lowered and our Green-White-Green flag hoisted in its place.

“That moment symbolizes our attainment of freedom from colonial rule. But it also marks the beginning of the onerous task of building a united, peaceful and prosperous nation that we set for ourselves.

“Over six decades on, the journey has been eventful and the challenges enormous. But we can be proud of the progress that we have made, draw lessons from the missteps and rededicate ourselves to our historic mission of nation-building. We should never abandon that mission.

“Our founding fathers encountered difficulties from the diversity of our people and country. But they realized that the feature is not unique to us and so they wisely embraced it as a potential source of strength.

“That is why they resolutely bound us into an indissoluble union. They had a dream of a diverse, united and prosperous Nigeria as a beckon of hope to Africa and the entire Black World.

“We must keep the torch of that dream of our founding fathers burning and hand it over to the next generation of Nigerians.

“The founding fathers got nothing on a silver platter. Their dream of a glorious future for Nigeria inspired them in confronting the challenges of their time.”

“It is in this regard that I will again encourage all Nigerians to take advantage of the ongoing process of constitutional review at the National Assembly.

“The National Assembly is determined to facilitate a meaningful review of the Constitution by the people, to ensure that the instrument continues to serve its purpose and to meet the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians.

“A people-oriented Constitution will address the frictions that we are currently witnessing and this is why the National Assembly is taking very seriously this national assignment.

“The National Assembly will always provide the necessary legislative interventions to strengthen the processes and encourage popular participation.

“For instance, we are about to harmonize the positions of the Senate and the House of Representatives on the Electoral Reform Bill. We are confident that the Bill will enhance the improvement that we have continued to see in our electoral process.

“Let us keep faith with Nigeria and continue as one people to work for our collective security and prosperity. May God continue to bless Nigeria,” Lawan said.

61st Independence Anniversary: Nigeria is our only country, let’s unite for peaceful coexistence – Gbajabiamila

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Gbajabiamila, said Nigerians should strive to be more united if we must build a country of our dream and a country that meets the best expectations of all Nigerians.

The Speaker added that Nigerians must come to term that unity was priceless, while saying that every Nigerian must drop their sentiments and work together for a better nation.

In the message signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker said “the only country we can call our own,” noting that, “As far as I am concerned, there is no country on earth like Nigeria, and I know every patriotic Nigerian holds this view.”

He said Nigerians must all work together to fulfil the dream of a nation of peaceful coexistence and abundant prosperity.

He said Nigeria has grown and developed beyond imagination in the last 61 years, while saying “We still have significant challenges we must overcome together.”

Gbajabiamila said Nigerian leaders were doing their best to see an end to the challenges facing Nigeria, especially the insecurity across the country.

The Speaker reassured Nigerians that the 9th Assembly would always give the necessary legislative interventions to other arms of government to smoothen the task of governance.