In the midst of insecurity and economic challenges, the Team Support Nigeria (TSN) says there are reasons to celebrate Nigeria’s 60 years of nationhood.
The group in a statement by its National Coordinator, Sir Chidi Onwumere, released on Wednesday to commemorate Nigeria’s 60th Independence Day Anniversary, said Nigerians are more united than most people realize.
Onwumere explained that this year’s celebration “is particularly symbolic as it represents sixty years of existence of the country as an independent nation, and in spite of our tortuous journey to nationhood for all of these years, we are able to make it together at sixty. Sixty represents diamond, and diamonds are truly forever, so we can safely say that Nigeria is Together Forever”.
He observed that “there are a number of people who will argue with conviction rightly or wrongly that there is nothing to celebrate in our sixty years of existence, that there are too many problems and challenges that bedevils the country, that our division is too obvious to begin to celebrate our unity at sixty.
“Yet the validity of these claims may pale into insignificance if we are to pause for a moment to count our blessings, naming them one by one; only then can we truly appreciate what the good Lord has done for us as a nation and as a people” he added.
Sir Onwumere emphasised that “Nigeria is far more united and integrated than most commentators are willing to admit, that even in the face of our known differences Nigerians from all works of lives across ethnic and tribal lines, religions, regions and states are living together daily in peace and harmony in the cities and hamlets, markets and work places, professional associations and several other forms of social gatherings and engagements; doing business together and making profits, playing politics together and other socio-cultural activities, and making progress.
“In the same vein, Nigerians from all tribes and ethnic divides are making waves across the globe, setting standards in virtually every field of human endeavor whether in the sciences or the humanities. We have seen how Dr. Akinwumi Adesina was not only cleared of all corruption allegations leveled against him, but was duly reelected as President of African Development Bank for another term of five years to the pride of Nigeria”.
He continued: “We are all proud Nigerians to see Dr. Amina Mohammed got appointed as United Nations Deputy Secretary General at the same period another distinguished Nigerian diplomat Ambassador Tijjani Muhammad Bande was elected the president of the UN General Assembly. We were equally all excited to see Mr. Kaycee Madu, a Nigerian Born Canadian appointed as a justice Minister and Solicitor General of the province of Alberta in Canada. The list can go on and on”.
He noted that “the task to make Nigeria work for us all and become the nation of our collective dreams is ours, as Nigeria can only become what we make of it. To this end, we urge governments at all levels to work selflessly for the good of our dear people, while also calling on the citizens themselves to take ownership of their country without losing faith in the enormous prosperity that God alone has placed at the disposal of this great country.
“He who in His goodness has brought us this far, will surely finish the very good work He has started.
“So let us celebrate with pomp as we journey into another phase of our nationhood. Again we say happy independence anniversary Nigeria”.
