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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