Independence Day: Nigerian Governors call for renewed hope, nation building

Nigerian Governors are commemorating the country’s 62nd Independence Day Anniversary with a general message of hope, unity and nation-building.

Kano State

The Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje has urged Nigerians to be vanguards of peace and harmony to enhance development in the nation.

Governor Ganduje stated this at the event held in Sani Abacha Stadium Kano State north Western Nigeria, to mark the 62nd Independence.

He tasked Nigerians to continue to live as brothers and sisters irrespective of differences in ethnic and religious beliefs.

“It is only when we live together in peace that we can work together to develop the country,” he said.

The Governor said despite security and economic challenges being faced in recent times, Nigerians have every reason to celebrate their freedom from colonial rule.

He said, “freedom gave rise to democratic leadership being enjoyed in the country today, which is far better than the military regime.”

On security challenges, Governor Ganduje called on Nigerians to strive to assist security agencies by providing credible and actionable information as they cannot do it alone.

He said his administration has recorded a lot of successes in the provision of infrastructure, youth empowerment, improving the health sector, education and agriculture among others to the People of the state.

According to him, “the Kano multi-billion naira ultra-modern cancer centre, the biggest in Africa will soon be completed assuring that president Mohammad Buhari would in-person commission the new facility.”

Other mega projects slated for Commissioning by President Buhari, includes the Muhammad Buhari interchange and the Aliko Dangote skills acquisition centre.

Concerning the 2023 general elections, Governor Ganduje advised the people of the state to shun politics of thuggery and violence.

The Governor said; “I appeal that campaigns during the period guaranteed by INEC should be issue-based.”

He appealed to them to embrace the democracy of tolerance and peace geared toward having a great Nation.

Oyo State

The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has challenged Nigerians to go beyond the endless search for culprits of the myriads of problems facing the country but collectively raise the bar of development in every area of life.

Makinde asserted that the nation must rise above the tides of discord, degradation, decline, and underdevelopment, saying that is the only way the country could blossom into that nation that can truly be called the giant of Africa.

Governor Makinde reiterated his belief that for sleeping giant Nigeria to rise to its potential, citizens and leaders must play their part positively as true stakeholders, without which the tales of woe would only continue to get elongated.

He said: “In our 62 years of nationhood, we have had the lot of a checkered history that showcases us as a country bedevilled by perpetual travails, a divided house with a cacophony of tongues, and an assemblage that keeps grappling with stunted growth. 

“Observers out there have said that we are a nation blessed by God with all the resources needed to excel. While many have situated our predicaments on the failure of leadership, some others have said that we have bad followers,” the governor stated.

He affirmed his administration’s commitment to taking bold steps with the singularity of mindset and determination to make a difference.

He said the four key pillars of his administration, which include security, health, education, and expanded economy through the agribusiness value chain, which was distilled from the Roadmap for Accelerated Development of Oyo State, 2019 to 2023, were working.

“Our poverty to prosperity mantra is working wonders in the different aspects of life including human capital development; enhancing the ease of doing business through positive economic indices; quality infrastructure; empowerment of residents and indigenes with good economic fortunes; welfare policies for workers, indigenes, and residents; as well as the assurance of a hopeful and good life through sound health policies and free and qualitative education,” Makinde noted.

He disclosed that the free education policy of the state had seen more than 40,000 out-of-school children return to school, while parents who were forced to move their wards to private schools due to the deplorable standards of education in public schools were rushing to return their wards to public schools, saying his government had built and furnished over 600 schools, with 60 model schools also constructed.”

Nasarawa State

The Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has promised to serve the people of the state diligently, prudently, and transparently.

Sule made this known during the twin occasion of the 62nd Anniversary of Nigeria’s Independence and the 26th Anniversary Celebration of the creation of Nasarawa State at the parade ground in Lafia the state capital.

He said that this occasion reminds us once again of the agitation and patriotic favour which were the driving force towards the attainment of our freedom from the colonialists and the independence that we are enjoying today.

“My good people of Nasarawa State, the celebration of the 62nd anniversary of our nationhood calls for sober reflection considering the enormous challenges of insecurity, kidnapping, banditry, Boko Haram insurgency, dwindling economic fortunes, and other sundry economic crimes bedevilling our country, 

He said the sorry state of affairs calls for our collective concern and concerted, efforts toward a holistic overhaul of our society.  

“My dear people of Nasarawa State, today also marks the 26th-anniversary celebration of the creation of our dear State. 

“I must acknowledge once again that from the inception of Nasarawa @ 26th-anniversary Administrations have endeavoured to contribute their quotas towards the realization of the dream of our founding fathers.

“This is why when we assumed office, we endeavoured to make some strides through various policy interventions and program initiatives to propel development in various endeavoured State economy”, Sule noted.

The governor said security is a program initiative for harmonious co-existence and socio-economic development of the society.

“There is no doubt that our development partners can only key into the State’s development agenda in an atmosphere of peace and order.

“This is why we sustained our collaboration with security agencies and provided logistics support to ensure the protection of lives and property. 

“This Administration has also facilitated the establishment of the Mobile Police Training College in Ende hills, as well as an additional Squadron in Toto.

“We have also domesticated Community Policing as a veritable tool to control crimes and criminality in the society. He added

Democratic ethics

Governor Sule acknowledges the developmental strides recorded in the past three years of his stewardship which could not have been possible without the cordial working relationship among the three arms of Government in the State.

He re-emphasizes that “we cannot celebrate our creation as a State without paying tribute to those that sacrificed their time, contributing energy to ensure that Nasarawa State came to fruition’’.

Governor Sule used the opportunity to appeal to political parties to adhere strictly to democratic ethics, rule of law, and adherence to the provision of the Electoral Act.

Kwara State North Central Nigeria

The Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq says Nigeria is a nation on the rise regardless of some drawbacks in its nation-building efforts and its share of the global challenges, in Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

Governor AbdulRazaq congratulated Nigerian citizens on the 62nd independence anniversary, saying leaders and citizens must play their roles to better the lots of the country and its people.

He spoke at Nigeria’s 62nd Independence Anniversary parade held in Ilorin amid colourful march-pasts by contingents from the security agencies, public and private primary and secondary schools, members of the national youth corps and the Red Cross in Kwara State.

The event was attended by the great and the good of Kwara State from different sectors, including Deputy Governor Kayode Alabe; First Lady Amb. Olufolake AbdulRazaq; Senator Sadiq Umar (North); House of Assembly Speaker, Yakubu Danladi-Salihu and members of the House; Grand Kadi Kwara State Shariah Court of Appeal Justice Abdullateef Kamaldeen; cabinet members; security commanders; royal fathers; and party leaders, among others.

The Governor said; “Nigeria is a nation on the rise. I agree that we are struggling against various challenges of nation-building. Yes, we are up against the fluctuations of the global economy.

“However, our country is not stagnant. We are not hopeless. Every day, new success is being recorded in the economy, infrastructural development, defence, and in our democratic journey.”

Governor AbdulRazaq said, “things will be better if everyone plays their role and prioritises national peace, unity, and collective growth.”

He congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari and other Nigerian citizens on the celebration, appreciating God and all founding fellows for their excellent contributions towards gaining that freedom.

“With gratitude to the Almighty God and respect to all the founding fathers and mothers of our country, I join Mr President to congratulate Nigerians on the 62nd Independence of our country,” he said.

Governor AbdulRazaq said Kwara is equally waxing stronger under his watch, stressing that the government must consolidate on some of the achievements recorded so far.

The Governor urged all the people in Kwara to continue to exist in peace, and make the State continually hospitable and attractive to investors.

“As a people, I urge you to continue to make this state the comfort zone for trade, hospitality, and peaceful coexistence. Together, let us build a state that works for all,” the Governor added.

The October 1 event is the annual commemoration of Nigeria’s political independence from Britain, with the Green White Green effectively replacing the British blue ensign with a Star of David surrounding the Tudor/Edward’s Crown. The latter had been adopted as the flag of Nigeria after the British amalgamated Northern and Southern Nigeria in 1914.

Lagos State
In a message to mark the anniversary, the Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, On this day in 1960, the shackles of colonialism were broken and cast aside, and Nigeria joined the league of independent countries, the largest sovereign black power on the earth.

He stated that although the country may not have fully attained the heights dreamed of by the founding fathers, “we still have every reason to celebrate this historic day”. 

“Every 1st of October is a time to reflect on the journey of our nationhood, to rededicate ourselves to the task of nation-building, and continue to work hard at building a formidable nation in Africa and the world at large”.

“I wish to pay tribute to all of our heroes, past and present, those who have laboured and sacrificed and all who continue to labour and sacrifice today”. 

I wish all Lagosians a Happy 62nd Independence Anniversary. May the labour of our heroes past and present never be in vain.

God bless Lagos State, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Plateau State Governor
In the same vein, the Governor of Plateau State, Simon Bako Lalong noted that as Nigeria celebrates its Independence Day as a sovereign nation memories of the journey so far “allows us to take stock and rekindle our resolve to confront the challenges that we face towards building a greater society”.

The Governor said it is impertinent that Nigerians do not allow the challenges of the moment to stop them from highlighting and thanking God for the tremendous successes we have achieved over the years.

“It is therefore important that  In this regard, we pay special tribute to those who fought for our independence, those who nurtured it, and all those who are doing their best to sustain it. We should continue to do our best to ensure that the sacrifices of these men, women, youths, children and people of various backgrounds do not go in vain”.

“Nigeria is a great nation with abundant human and material resources comparable to very few countries in the world. These blessings have passed through different attempts to harvest them for the good of the citizens who are diverse in ethnic, religious, social and political orientations. Our diversity which in itself is a major resource has also put demands on managing our endowments to the point that many questions whether it is a blessing or a curse,” he added.

“However, we should never forget that Nigeria’s diversity is its greatest strength and not its weakness. Therefore, we should devote more time, energy and resources to things that unite us than our differences of origin which in most cases we have no control over. We should equally devote more energy towards ensuring that people are treated fairly, justly and with dignity that is guaranteed by our constitution. Plateau State under our watch presents this template of managing diversity.”

He used the opportunity to especially appreciate all citizens for their support and collaboration towards the restoration of peace and security in Plateau State over the years.

“While we do not claim to have achieved total success in eliminating criminal attacks, we have substantially overcome the wanton destruction of lives and properties through ethno-religious crises and other senseless attacks on our people. Thanks to our gallant security personnel, we have been able to tackle criminals and crises merchants who hitherto wreaked havoc on our State”.

“We must reflect on the role that each of us must continue to play towards ensuring that we consolidate on the peace, security, unity and development of our dear State and Nigeria at large. When we all perform our responsibilities, then we can be sure of a great nation that we all yearn for”.

Osun State Governor
The Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola has urged Nigerian youths to continue to seek better ways to fulfill their roles as leaders of tomorrow.

In his Independence Day message, Governor Oyetola congratulated the people of Osun and fellow Nigerians, particularly on the 62nd Independence Anniversary of Nigeria.

“As a Government, we shall continue to spare no effort to provide quality, equitable and functional education for our students. We shall stop at nothing to move from flashes of success to making winning academic milestones a way of life. In furtherance of our belief that our best resource is our people, we shall continue to offer opportunities and possibilities to the people of Osun especially our youth to excel in all facets of life. I assure you of our Administration’s continued commitment to the growth and development of our State”.

Delta State Governor

The Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa has congratulated Nigerians as the country celebrates its 62nd Independence Day Anniversary.

Okowa called on all Nigerians to unite and play their respective roles in rescuing the country from divisiveness, insecurity, and economic crisis.

“As we do this, I wish to assure the great people of Delta State that we will not be distracted from our goal to build a #StrongerDelta. We will committedly provide robust governance until the last day of our administration”.

Gombe State Governor
As Nigeria marks its 62nd Independence and Gombe State marks the 26th anniversary of its creation, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya says all hands must be on deck to foster unity, peace, security and understanding regardless of ethnic/religious differences

In a message marking both anniversaries, he said; “There is so much to celebrate, despite challenges confronting the country.”

The Governor added that particular reference was the unity of the country and the hope that the lofty height of greatness being sought was still within reach and accomplishment.

He, therefore, urged the citizenry to keep hope alive in the quest to build a prosperous state and nation as envisioned by our founding fathers.

The Governor who said that Nigeria was passing through tough times, occasioned by insecurity and others, however, said that the challenges confronting the nation were not insurmountable.

He called on the people of Gombe state and Nigerians in general, to rekindle their hopes and renew their commitment and love for the country.

Governor Yahaya also urged the people to see the greatness and prospects of Gombe state and the country as a motivating factor.

Underscoring the importance attached to the twin celebration, Governor Inuwa said “For us in Gombe State, it is a double celebration: we are marking the 62nd independence as a nation and the 26th anniversary of the creation of our drear state.“

He gave the reassurances that under his leadership, Gombe state would continue to wax stronger in all facets of human endeavours, vowing to keep initiating people-oriented policies and programmes that will better the lots of the people and the state.

“Since assuming office in May 2019, I emphasised the importance of eschewing short-term expediency and gains, and instead committed to implementing long-term solutions to deeply complex developmental problems. I firmly believe that by introducing better ways of doing things in government, we will not only address difficult developmental challenges but also establish a solid foundation for long-lasting prosperity, peace and progress in our dear state,” Governor Yahaya said.

As the campaigns for the 2023 elections begin in earnest, Governor Yahaya enjoined the people of Gombe state to continue to play their role in deepening democracy by actively participating in the electoral process.

He, however, urged everyone to exhibit decorum and maturity as well as shun all acts that would undermine the process.

While rejoicing with President Muhammadu Buhari and the entire nation on the auspicious occasion, Governor Yahaya said the celebration was an opportunity to continue to sustain the legacies of the heroes’ past.