The Nation Newspaper

Tag: independence

  • Fed Govt unveils 63rd Independence anniversary programme

    Fed Govt unveils 63rd Independence anniversary programme

    • ‘Tinubu working with stakeholders to reduce hardship’

    The Federal Government has unveiled the programme of events for the 63rd Independence Day anniversary celebration.

    Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, who led the unveiling of the programme yesterday in Abuja, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had approved a low-key celebration as a result of the current economic realities.

    The SGF assured Nigerians that the current government was working with relevant stakeholders, including the organised labour, to bring succour to all citizens.

    Speaking on the programme for the 63rd Independence Day anniversary, Akume said the events started with a world press conference, a national broadcast by President Tinubu on Sunday, October 1, and others.

    “As you are aware, the President has given his approval for this 63rd anniversary to be low-key, in line with the present economic realities. The theme of the anniversary is: Nigeria at 63, Renewed Hope for Unity and Prosperity.

    Read Also: Ex-Ogun council chair Adedayo arrested

    “In view of the above, the following programmes have been lined up to mark the celebration: a world press conference on Monday, September 25, at the National Press Centre, Radio House, Abuja, at 11 a.m;

    “An anniversary symposium/public lecture on Thursday, September 28, 2023, at State House Conference Centre, at 10 a.m;

    “A lecture on Friday, September 29, 2023, at the National Mosque Conference Centre (Abuja) at 10 a.m, and Juma’at prayer at the National Mosque at 1 p.m;

    “A presidential broadcast will hold on Sunday, October 1, 2023 at 7 a.m;

    “An inter-denominational church service on Sunday, October 1, 2023, at the National Christian Centre (in Abuja) at 10 a.m; and

    “A military parade on Monday, October 2, 2023, at the Presidential Villa, at 9 a.m,” he said.

    On the economic situation in the country, Akume said the Tinubu administration was aware of its effects of the citizens, assuring that the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda was tailored to straighten out the situation.

    “The government is fully aware of the economic challenges that Nigerians are confronted with since the removal of the fuel subsidy as well as the impact of the global economic downturn. 

    “The government is working assiduously to provide the necessary palliatives to mitigate such challenges and the provision of buses to ease hardship on transportation, among others. 

    “At the same time, the government is engaging with labour in order to address areas of concern for the well-being of all Nigerian workers and Nigerians generally.

    “It is for this reason that this government, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, is anchoring on the Renewed Hope Agenda, which will improve food security, guarantee end to poverty, improve security, economic growth and job creation, access to capital, improve the playing field on which people, and particularly companies, operate, respect for the rule of law, and fight against corruption,” he said.

  • Independence from the eyes of a provincial lad

    By Jide Osuntokun

    Nigeria got its independence 59 years ago and I was in my final year in the fifth form in Christ’s School Ado Ekiti. A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, to put it in local Nigerian lingo. I was a fragile but athletic teenager who played soccer, basketball and represented my house in short sprints, long and steeple jumps as well as rounders. If there was a school team in rounders, I would have been on it. Rounders was almost unique to Christ School because hardly any other school played it. On the eve of independence, I remember our class being asked to write about Nigeria‘s independence. I wrote that we would soon be free from “rancorous negrophobism” of white colonialists. I think I must have seen this phrase in the Daily Times, the most widely read newspaper of the time. It sounded very nice but our English teacher, Allan Reed angrily cancelled it. I felt bad many years later when I realized how insensitive I must have been. Here was a young Englishman and his wife doing yeoman job in the backwoods of the British Empire being lumped with other white people from his country as haters of blacks. Of course I was not totally off the mark. There were Britons who hated us while making a living in our country. After all Rudyard Kipling in his book “The White Man’s Burden” had described us as “half children half devils”. Our white teachers in Christ’s School, were however really devoted to their jobs and they apparently loved us as Christians were supposed to love one another. This was particularly the case with our principal Donald Leslie Mason. We students also loved him in return. Mason celebrated brilliant students but paid little attention to sports, the result of which was the annual humiliation of our school by Government College Ibadan’s soccer team. To make up for this, we usually displayed our school certificate results for the visiting soccer team to see and to know there was life after soccer victory.

    Even though we were not aware of nationalist rumblings among our Nigerian teachers, we suspected something was wrong when our beloved principal Canon L.D Mason went on an extended leave for six months. The chemistry teacher Papa Adeyemi, a much loved man and an old hand in the school, acted in the absence of Mason. What we noticed was the improvement in our food. It certainly tasted better. We started having bread and tea for breakfast. Crayfishes found their ways into our previously tasteless stews. We later learned that by currying the favour of the students, the school’s finances were run down. Baba Adeyemi took keen interest in our preparation for our final University of Cambridge West African School Certificate examination. That was the name of the final examination then. It was the first serious examination many of us had ever taken. And for most of us it was a “do or die affair”. In Christ School of those days,  nobody cared whether you came from a rich or poor home, all that mattered was one’s  performance in examinations and the crowning glory was your coming out with flying colours in the final  school certificate examination. When I was a junior boy, one of our senior boys was known to keep his legs in a bucket full of cold water all night so that he would not fall asleep while swotting. Unfortunately this particular boy was the butt of students’ jokes because he flunked his examination. Boys in my set read all round the clock weeks before the commencement of the examination. We ate kolanuts and drank strong coffee to stay awake. There were all kinds of tablets that were hawked around to keep students awake. Thank God our “do or die” efforts did not result into any deaths. On the eve of the examination, the acting principal, Papa Adeyemi called all of us to his office and gave us what he said were tablets to prevent us from having head ache. But we noticed that as soon as we took the tablets we became sleepy a few minutes later and we had to rush to our dormitories before falling asleep on our legs. This routine of cleverly sedating us was followed daily until we finished our examination. I remember our distinguished biology teacher, R. A Ogunlade emphasising deliberately what he knew would not be asked the students in the practical biology paper. What an honest man!

    That was the Nigeria in which I grew up and the Nigeria of our independence dreams .We worked very hard not because of independence but because that was the tradition of our school.

    One thing I remember vividly was that at the eve of Independence Day, we had a party in our big dining hall to which girls from our sister Anglican Girls Secondary School in Ado -Ekiti were invited. This was before the two schools were merged. Many of us were not too comfortable dancing with people of the opposite sex. We just did not do such things as Christ School boys. We actually thought any boy who had a girlfriend was doomed to a life of failure. Indeed many of such wayward boys did not make it in life! Many of us danced alone and the girls did the same. The rave then in the world of music was Victor Olaiya’s “Omo pupa”. The song was about marrying a fair skinned woman and leaving her at home while the spouse went in search of the “golden fleece” in London. While in London the man sends money home so that his wife could join him and so that they could live happily thereafter. That captured a trend in those days when men sort of funded their education through “work study” without parental or government support. Many of our people took this route to success. Most of my classmates were far removed from this trajectory. All we wanted to do was pass our examinations and go to the University of Ibadan and become graduate teachers like our teachers. We had no professional guidance in school. The few of my classmates who became medical doctors did so by mere chance of emulating older students from our school who were studying medicine at the University of Ibadan. We knew nothing about engineering, law, accountancy, journalism, insurance, banking, finance etc. No one thought about police or armed forces yet our contemporaries in the East and the North were being encouraged to join these critical organs that, for better or for worse, played decisive roles in the history of our country. My class did not enjoy the privilege of being the most senior class in the school because the sixth form in science started in our last year. This created unnecessary conflict between us and the sixth formers who were very few but were veritable irritants for us who felt robbed of the ultimate prize of being the senior boys and ultimate bullies in the school old tradition!

    A year earlier in December 1959, the elections into the federal House of Representatives had held. This was a bitterly fought election. In our part of Nigeria, we had thought the Action Group (A.G) led by the indomitable Obafemi Awolowo would win. We saw the party flying helicopters here and there and engaging in aerobatic displays and writing of party slogans and symbols in the sky. The two other major parties of the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) led by Ahmadu Bello, the scion of the Usman Dan Fodio northern aristocracy and the NCNC (National Council of Nigerian Citizens) led by the flamboyant wordsmith, Nnamdi Azikiwe, we were told, stood no chance against the A.G. The NPC did not bother to campaign in the South while the NCNC gave the A.G in the Southwest a fight for its money. This was because the NCNC was previously led by Herbert Macaulay a Lagosian Yoruba descendant of the first African bishop, Ajayi Crowther.

    For daring to challenge the NPC in the North, it was predictable that it would form an alliance with the NCNC. This was what happened. The government formed by the two parties led Nigeria to independence. We had an uneasy political peace in the country and certainly in the west with the NCNC threatening to use its presence in the federal government to challenge the AG government in the west. As school boys we grew up seeing other Nigerians as inferior to Yoruba people.

  • What is Nigeria celebrating at 59?

    At Independence, in 1960, the future of Nigeria was bright. World leaders predicted that, 10 years later, the country would become a medium world power. But, 59 years after, there is gap between expectation and reality. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN writes on tragedy of a promising country that squandered the opportunities of becoming a giant.

    Fifty nine years after independence, Nigeria appears to be a toddler learning the rudiments of democracy. The country is at a crossroads. Across the six geo-political zones, there is no peace. In the North, the Boko Haram is on the prowl. In the Middle Belt, the Ombatse group has intensified killings. The brand of terrorism in the South is armed robbery and commercial kidnapping. Besides, there are problems of ethno-religious conflicts, and youth unemployment. Today, Nigerians are more divided along ethnic and religious lines than they were before independence.

    On October 1, 1960, the future of Nigeria was bright. World powers acknowledged the enormous natural endowment, quality and quantity of its population and vast opportunities available to the former British Colony. The three premiers have laid examples of transformational leadership in the Western, Eastern and Northern Regions.

    Unfortunately, the 1966 military coup halted Nigeria’s journey to greatness. It deepened the distrust and suspicion among the unequal regions.  The mistake of the first military ruler, Major General Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, who foisted the unitary system on the country through his controversial unification decree marked the beginning of the journey to gloom.

    From the initial three regions, the country was split into 36 states by the successive military administrations. But, the structure had not changed the feelings of primordial sentiments by the estranged partners.

    Yet, 59 years after independence, the rich country is in pains. The natural resource is domiciled in the Niger Delta Region. But, majority of its citizens wallow in abject poverty. Life expectancy has dropped abysmally in Nigeria to 44, one of the lowest in the world. Basic amenities such as portable water, electricity, medical facilities and roads are in pitiable state of disrepair.

    There are some puzzles: Why is Nigeria difficult to change? Why has Nigeria failed to develop with abundant human and material resources at its disposal? Why has prosperity eluded the nation? Why are many Nigerians swimming in the deep ocean of poverty? What is responsible for the rising unemployment in the country?

    Military adventure in power:

    A renowned scholar, Professor Akin Mabogunje, blamed the economic woes on the military intervention in government. He said the military came to power when the country’s earnings increased tremendously, but they mismanaged the economy.

    The elder statesman, said: “Instead of using the accruing resources of oil windfall of 1970s to improve and modernise our colonial infrastructure, we began by establishing a Public Service Review Commission, which enhanced personal emoluments of civil and public servants dramatically resulting in a national spree that depleted commercial stores all over the country of durable consumer goods such as air-conditioners, refrigerators, electric cookers, radio and television set. This, of course, forced a sharp rise in the demand for electricity beyond the capacity of the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA) to provide and the consequence of that singular miscalculation is still with us till today.

    “With the continuing and increasing inflow of the windfall from the petroleum, the military government with its unified command structure was no longer comfortable with a fiscal arrangement in which the governor of an oil-rich state could start to have a revenue-base close to that of the Federal Government itself. In consequence, the Federal Military Government subverted the existing fiscal arrangement of the Federation. Instead of the “derivation principle” of revenue allocation, it passed the Petroleum Act of 1969 which decreed that all royalties and rent from petroleum accrued to a Federation Account from which all levels of government, in consonance with the unified command structure of military administration, can have a share on some agreed formula.

    “This Act allowed the Federal Military Government to begin the process of gratuitously creating states and local governments without any consideration as to their economic viability. It was assumed that they could all enjoy their share from the Federation Account which in popular parlance came to be referred to as “the national cake”.

    Unitary constitution:

    Federalism is often regarded as the appropriate system of government for countries with huge ethno- cultural diversities. Nigeria with over 250 ethnic groups inherited a federal system from Britain.

    Although the 1951 Macpherson constitution was federal in nature, it contained some elements and ingredients of unitary constitution that characterised the previous constitutions. The Lyttleton’s Constitution that followed established three regions Northern, Western and Eastern, with autonomy in internal policy and administration. It gave the central government the responsibility for external affairs and regional policy.

    The Lyttleton Constitution was a model for the Independence Constitution of 1960 and the 1963 Republican Constitution. Under these two constitutions, the regions had considerable powers, including concurrent authority with the central government over higher education, industrial and water development, the judiciary and police. Even though the two Constitutions were truly federal in nature, they failed woefully to address the issue of lopsidedness of the federation. The north was almost double the size of the combined Western and Eastern regions. Hence, the North dominated the central government.

    The fear of domination culminated in the tension sparked the first military coup in 1966. The coup was led by young army officers of Igbo extraction. Following the coup, General Ironsi, who emerged as the Head of State, abolished federalism in favour of a unitary system, which, according to him, would foster unity in the country. Expectedly, the North viewed this action as an attempt to dominate the country, hence a counter- coup led by northern officers who installed Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon as the new Head of State, against the established military hierarchy. The first action taken by Gowon was to reinstate federalism.

    Shortly before the outbreak of the civil war in 1967, the Gowon administration abolished the existing regions and created 12 states. The creation of these states weakened the power of the federating units . As a result, the military systematically abolished the 50 per cent derivation formula that was arguably the hallmark of the First Republic.

    The post civilian regimes in the country maintained a federal structure, but implemented policies that encouraged Nigeria’s metamorphosis into a unitary state. With the power fully residing in the centre, the military men tore down the former regions into shreds, by increasing number of states in the country.

    Failed constitutions:

    The 1979 and 1979 constitutions imposed by the military were designed to obliterate the traces of true federalism in Nigeria. A mere perusal of the second schedule to the 1979 Constitution, which embodied the Exclusive List, shows that the Federal Government was given enormous powers, which encroached on the areas that were supposed to be in the concurrent list. For instance, the Federal Government had exclusive power over: aviation,  including airports, safety of aircraft and carriage of passengers and goods by air;  commercial and industrial monopolies, combines and trusts; copyright; evidence; fingerprints; identification and criminal records; Labour, including trade unions, industrial disputes and prescribing a minimum wage for the federal and states. It also gave it exclusive powers over industrial arbitration; Mines and mineral including oilfields, oil mining, geological surveys and natural gas; Police and so many other items. The 1999 Constitution, on the other hand, incorporated in its second Schedule Part 1, almost if not all the items listed there.

    Similarly, the 1999 Constitution has been widely criticised by critics for fostering systematic disintegration. A professor o f Political Science, Lagos State University (LASU) Professor Sylvester Odion-Akhaine, described it as grossly deficient in addressing present political realities. He said: “The constitution subverts the federal principle in its overt strengthening of the centre, leaving the state weak and prostate”

    These military constitutions are, therefore, the undisputed precursors of the present socio-economic and political woes. To provide a framework for addressing Nigeria’s multifarious resource control agitation by the Niger Delta states, citizenship, and the lopsided nature of the federalism must be addressed.

    Defective federalism

    Federalism is a system of government where the central and constituent units are not subordinate to one another. In a typical federal state, there is no master-servant relationship. Since both the central and constituent units derive their powers to exist or operate directly from the constitution, no government in such a union arrogates undue powers to itself or act as leader.

    However, in Nigeria, the reverse is the case. Nigeria is a federation of an excessively strong central government accompanied by weak 36 states and 774 local governments. Abuja calls the shots and dictates the pace for states to follow. In a true federalism, the constituents do not surrender all powers. In Nigeria, the central government is to other governments and distributes national resources to others at its own whims and caprices.

    At independence, the autonomous regions possessed the residual powers and functioned almost independently. The regions had independent revenue bases, separate constitutions and foreign missions.. All these changed under the military rule. Attempts by the state governments to reassert their autonomy during the Second Republic were aborted by the return of military rule. Some state governments that were controlled by parties other than the ruling party at the centre, the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), took the Federal Government to court on many occasions over matter of jurisdiction competence.

    The trends also reoccurs in this dispensation when the former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, dragged the Obasanjo-led federal government to court over the issue of local government creation in Lagos State. Tinubu’s major argument was that the act, which suggests that the Federal Government sees itself as superior to the state government, is anti-thetical to the principles of true federalism.

    One of the major features that makes federalism work is financial autonomy. This has never been achieved in Nigerian. The intervention of the government through national financial policies, grants-in-aids among other, increases the power of the Federal Government and makes the federating units subordinate to the central government. The increased revenue from oil boom has made the Federal Government to be more financially powerful over the state governments. As a result of this excess liquidity, the Federal Government embarked on some projects, which were meant to be in the residual list. The Universal Basic Education is an example.

    The local autonomy for government is also considered as a problem of federalism in Nigeria. Today, the local governments are controlled by the state governments. But, the Federal Government is making moves to severe the relationship between states and local governments through direct funding of the councils. This move contradicts what obtains in countries where true federalism is practised.

    Another issue is resource control, which is threatening the peaceful co-existence of the federating units. Nigeria has witnessed and is likely to witness more inter-ethnic crises, if states are not granted the right to rule and control their resources. Before the 1966 coup, regional government control led the resources generated within their domain. For instance, the Western Regional Government was responsible for the production and exportation of cocoa, the major cash crop in the region, to foreign countries. It only paid taxes to the federal government as stipulated in the constitution. Similarly, the Northern Nigeria Government and its Eastern counterpart handled the exportation of groundnut and rubber produced in commercial quantity in their territories.

    The defective federal structure has promoted bitter sruggle between interest groups to capture the state.

    A political analyst Dr Ignatius Onuoha, said the experiment with the Nigeria state and the lip service to true federalism must stop. This, according to him, “is because the experiment has made it impossible for our nation to harness the political, economic and other numerous benefits attached to federalism.”

    Restructuring:

    The clamour for restructuring has polarised the country. Regions in the South believe in it, but they have different views over what it is all about. To the Ibos in the Southeast, restructuring will guarantee confederation; the Yorubas in the Southwest want a restructuring that  would take the country back to regionalism while the Southsouth is pushing for resource control. While the position of regions in the South are irreconcilable, that of the three regions in the North is a different ball game.

    To the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, the disintegration of Nigeria is imminent. The immediate solution is restructuring, he said. Similarly, Afenifere chieftain, Ayo Adebanjo is spitting fire that Nigeria will break up, unless zones are allowed to control their resources.

    Radical northern politician Dr Junaid Muhammed said eminent citizens pushing for restructuring are trying to blackmail Nigerians into an unclear and bogus system of government. The second Republic politician posited that none of those calling for restructuring had been able to give a clear-cut definition of what they meant.

    He said: “Until somebody can tell me what this restructuring is all about, I won’t be convinced about the call. These agitators of restructuring like Edwin Clark, Ayo Adebanjo, John Nwodo and others have not actually told us what would be restructured and how it will be done. That was how we were told that without Sovereign National Conference (SNC), Nigeria will collapse.”

    Also, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has rejected the call for restructuring, saying what the country needs at the moment is competent leadership at all levels. ACF spokesman, Alhaji Mohammed Ibrahim said heeding the call for restructuring would weaken the centre. He said Nigerians fought for unity and that it is not possible for the North to support anything that would cause disunity.

    Legal luminary Malam Yusuf Ali (SAN) said until there is agreement among the ethnic groups on how to restructure Nigeria, there will be no progress.

    The lawyer admitted there are problems that must be addressed, if Nigerians must live together as subjects of one nation. He said: “If we abolish the settler and indigene dichotomy and ensure equitable distribution of amenities, Nigerians will not mind if the father is president and the son is vice president. An Ibo man won’t care if a Yoruba is president, provided he is not denied of basic things of life.” He added that it is lack of faith that is causing suspicion among the ethnic groups.

    Abandoned projects:

    Nigeria political leaders often articulate visions in colourful and expensive development plans, policies and programmes mainly for chanting. The leaders are chicken hearted in the implementation of these plans, except to enrich cronies, political stooges or sycophants.

    The non-performing leader often aspires to continue in office even after his tenure has expired. When he leaves or steps aside, or is forced out of office, the successor jettisons some of the visions of the previous leaders. He may even decide to abandon the programmes of the previous leaders for his new ones or panel beat them to feign some air of originality. The country abounds with abandoned projects and policy somersaults. The words of the political leaders are not their bonds, nor do people hold them accountable to their promises.

    Oil as blessing and curse:

    Despite Nigeria being the second African exporter of crude oil and the sixth in the world, it has not reflected in the nation’s development and standard of living of the citizenry. The nation’s under-development is associated with weak management and corruption. Nigeria has been overtaken in development by some other developing countries that were worse than our country in 1960. These countries include Malaysia, Indonesia and Venezuela. Even more disquieting is the fact that Nigeria lags behind many sub-Saharan African countries including Senegal, Ghana, Zambia and Cameroon in GNP.

    Nigeria dropped in global economic ranking to 101st position out of 125 nations while the economy is still burdened with double-digit inflation, estimated at 13 per cent. Nigeria was placed 159th out of 177 countries of the world examined for the human development. Nigeria also lost 34 places (falling to rank 112) in the basic requirements sub-index, which alights the fundamentals for achieving sustainable growth, including strong institutions, adequate infrastructure, a supportive macro-economic environment and good basic health and education.

    The World Bank estimated that 50 per cent of the federal roads have deteriorated in the last six years to the extent that it costs more to send goods from Lagos to Maiduguri than to send them to Europe.

    Weak institutions and corruption:

    Observers said Nigeria’s existing democratic structures are not yet effective. Accoring to an expert: “Its extractive political and economic institutions do not create incentive for the citizens to save, invest and innovate. Power and wealth are concentrated in the hands of those controlling state apparatus. Only those in control of or connected to those in political power are benefitting from the system. Lack of effective law and order and economic incentive has destroyed the environment.

    “As such we cannot remain in a dysfunctional environment and expect good outcomes in what we do.  As our physical life is affected by the physical environment, so also our nation’s environment will affect the quality of attention the people will give to their actions. The system is corruption-charged, and that has affected the moral life of the people and the health of the economy.

    “The political leaders can only change the system by changing their mental models. They are always on each other’s throat with their petty politics. Instead of dealing with broad national issues and creating an environment that would accommodate the interest of the diverse population. For example, former President Olusegun Obasanjo is always critical of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration instead of working collaboratively with the government to build a stable and brighter future for the country.”

  • Nigerians set New York aglow for independence festival

    Nigerians in the United States (U.S.) at the weekend set New York aglow with excitement and joy to celebrate the country’s 58th independence anniversary with parade and carnival.

    The largest U.S. city was painted with green-white-green insignia as Nigerians from all walks of life united for the country.

    The parade, which started on Second Avenue on 54th Street  in Manhattan, terminated at the Nigerian House on 44th Street.

    This was followed by the Independence Day Festival at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, near the United Nations Headquarters

    Known as the largest celebration of Nigeria not happening in the homeland, the 27th annual Nigerian Independence Day Parade celebrates the very best of Nigeria’s food, culture, music and people.

    The festival is also Africa’s largest Parade in the U.S., and showcases Nigeria’s unique culture and promotes the positive image of Nigeria to the rest of the world.

    Several  other nationals also joined in dancing to Nigerian music and cuisines, which pervaded the Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza.

    Many Nigerian leaders joined other compatriots in the United States for the Independence Day Parade, and addressed the joyous crowd who thronged the venue to listen to Nigerian music and savour the cuisines.

  • Independence: Lalong pardons five inmates

    Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong has granted state pardon to five inmates serving various jail terms in some prisons across the state.

    The governor also reduced the prison terms of two inmates.

    A statement yesterday in Jos, the state capital, by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr Yakubu Dati, said the pardon was in line with the powers conferred on the governor under Section 212 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

    He said: “Lalong took the decision after consultation with the State Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.

    “Those granted pardon by Governor Lalong include Samson Jonah, Dung Mwankon and Vincnet Bulus, Hosea Pokyes and Maxwell Idi.

    “Those who have their sentences reduced are: Yakubu Yohana and Victor Bakyil; they will now to spend 10 years in prison, instead of 20 years.

    “The crimes of those pardoned include attempted robbery, criminal conspiracy, possession of firearms, theft and culpable homicide.”

    Lalong implored those pardoned to turn a new leaf and make useful contributions to the society.

  • Ikpeazu calls for collaboration at independence

    Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has called on Nigerians to unite to build the country of our dreams.

    The governor, who made the call in his independence anniversary message signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Enyinnaya Appolos, said a better Nigeria is possible if we do away with acrimony, strife and politics of bitterness which remains the bane of our national growth.

    The message reads: “Despite what seems to be a gloomy economic outlook, political and social challenges, protests and agitations fuelled by obvious cases of marginalisation of some sections of the country, particularly the Southeast, I am confident that we are capable of being stronger together if we make the virtues of love, fairness and equity our watchwords.

    “I, therefore, call on every patriotic Nigerian, irrespective of ethnic, political and religious inclinations, to take a retrospective look at our country and ask the question ‘why has God brought us together as one country?’

    “All men of goodwill must therefore stand up for Nigeria and work hard to make it a country we can all be proud of, and where equity, justice and fairness rules. There is no price too high to pay for a better Nigeria.

    “I am sure that with everybody working together, our tomorrow will certainly be better than our present and past.”

  • Nigeria@58: Independence celebration in Abuja (Videos)


  • Independence: 50 CSOs trek 5Km for national unity

    No fewer than 50 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the umbrella of Hybrid for Positive Change on Monday embarked on a five kilometre trek in Zaria, Kaduna State to enhance national cohesion at independence.

    The CSOs began their trek from Emir of Zazzau’s palace in Zaria-city and terminated at Muhammad Aminu Square, populaly called Polo Club in Sabongari Local Government Area.

    Speaking to NAN on the sideline of the trekking, the Chairman, Hybrid for Positive Change, Muhammad Sani-Is’haq said the essence of the trek was to commemorate the 58th independence anniversary and solidify the prevailing peace and unity in the country.

    He said: “We are out to show solidarity for the sovereignty and oneness of Nigeria as a nation and to celebrate the 58th anniversary of our motherland.

    “We want to foster unity among the youths from different NGOs, different religions, different tribes, different ethnic groups and different background. We also want to show the world that we are youths whose interest is national cohesion.

    “It took us more than two months to gather these kind of people, we used different means to actualise this dream of bringing the youths together for a common goal which is national unity.”

    According to him, the organisers carefully selected the participating NGOs based on their efforts and zeal to bring progress and development to the society.

    On his part, the Executive Director, Arewa Youths Trust Foundation, Fahad Ahmed-Chikaji said the trek was in honour of the independence day.

    Ahmed-Chikaji, who is also the Kaduna State Coordinator, Future Builders Foundation for Children’s Health and Education, advised the youths to shun all negative tendencies that would work against the growth and development of their immediate society and the nation at large.

    “As youths, general elections is forthcoming, they should endeavour to shun all forms of social vices such as gangsterism, thuggery, gender based violence, drug abuse and alcoholism among others.

    “Youths should prepare their minds to be educated and learn different trades to be useful to themselves, their families, the society and the nation at large.

    “They should seek to be agents and promoters of peace in the society and always remain patriotic in all what they do,” he said.

    Ahmed-Chikaji prayed that the trek would yield positive result that would pave way for sustainable peace, unity and national cohesion among Nigerians.

    “This is because, the participants of this trek are not only from Zaria or indigenes of Kaduna State but they cut across all tribes, religions and regions of Nigeria.

    Read Also: I will split Accountant General, AGF offices, says Tambuwal

    “Therefore, our main target is to foster national unity and consolidate on the existing peace and continue to live as one nation irrespective of our differences,” Ahmaed-Chikaji said.

    The NGOs included; Youths Democratic Movement, Arewa Youth Development, Northern Igbo Youths Forum, Arewa Yoruba Youths Movement and Peace Negotiators.

    Others are National Association of Nigerian Comrades, Northern Youths for Peace and Good Governance, Arewa Elite Magazine, National Association of Zazzau Students, Peace Corpse of Nigeria, Youths Peace Ambassadors and Youth Advisory Group among others.

  • We’ve a lot to celebrate, says Conoil

    Nigeria has a lot to celebrate on the occasion of its 58th independence anniversary, leading total energy firm, Conoil, said yesterday.

    In a goodwill message, it enjoined Nigerians at home and abroad to celebrate one another for going the extra-mile to make the country still united despite all odds.

    The company noted that the country had made giant strides since it attained independence and shown resilience in the face of obstacles on its path to greatness.

    This determination, it said, must be celebrated.

    It added: “Despite all odds, we have grown stronger as a people and as a country. And today, we should dare to celebrate that true winning spirit.”

    The major oil marketer urged Nigerians to strive for peace and harmony at all times and rededicate themselves towards achieving a more unified country in tandem with the vision of its founding fathers.

    Conoil urged the citizens to take a moment to reflect on what constitute impediments to the continuous growth of the nation and seek solutions to the problems. It enjoined Nigerians to see themselves as one, irrespective of religious, political or tribal beliefs.

    According to the statement, “We see a brighter future for Nigeria. We beseech Nigerians to look inwards and work towards individual transformation and re-orientation, which will, in turn, lead to the transformation of the country.”

    It wished Nigerians a happy independence celebration.

     

  • Wheatbaker hosts contemporaries for independence

    The Wheatbaker Art Gallery, Lagos  is hosting the second edition of the Contemporaries, an exhibition of 38 sculptures, paintings and mixed media works by three avant garde contemporary artists from Nigeria whose strong visual narrative and powerful figurative abstractions explore the dignity of labour, time travel, and the use of archival printing materials to highlight personal stories against the background of socio-political events.

    Kainebi Osahenye  combines spray paint with oil, pastel, and acrylic, experimenting with dynamic fluency and fluidity to explore figurative gestures which interrogate sociey’s insatiability vis-a-vis the earth’s limited natural resources.

    Kelani Abass creates intricate multi-media works, in which small mechanical parts retrieved from his family’s printing press, are layered with photographs and archival materials as the artist explores personal stories against the background of social and political events frozen in time and memory. His ‘man and machine’ series on canvas explore the co-dependency between man and technology.

    Kenny Adewuyi’s emotive sculptures of elongated figures and exaggerated limbs are in recognition of humanity’s universal struggle for survival and sustained livelihoods. His iconic sculptures are cast in bronze using the lost wax technique dating as far back as the 9th century in eastern Nigeria, keeping alive an ancient artistic tradition.