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Here's the President's speech as Nigeria celebrates her 54th
Independence Day today.
Fellow Nigerians:
1. Today marks the 54th anniversary
of our country's independence as a sovereign nation. This is also the tenth month of our journey
into a new century, having marked the centenary of our nation in January this
year.
2. The first one hundred years were
marked by triumphs and tribulations, benefits and burdens, opportunities and
challenges. We made some far reaching
advances in building a strong, united and prosperous nation. We also overcame the forces of disunity that
culminated in a debilitating civil war.
We have also renewed our faith in one another, and in our country. We
have proven that we are truly a resilient nation.
3. In my address to the nation last
year, I did emphasize that we were in a sober moment in our country. We are
still in that mood in spite of the many accomplishments of our administration.
Our sombreness has to do with the crises of nationhood occasioned by the
activities of terrorist elements who have done the unimaginable to challenge our
unity as a people.
4. On an occasion like this, it is
important that we remember all the precious souls that have been lost in the
unprecedented war of terror unleashed on some parts of our country by these
individuals who want to compel us to live our lives their way. They will not
succeed!
5. In their mission, they have maimed
and raped. They have killed men, women and children, rendering many children
orphans and several women widows.
6. They have made violence their
ideology and are bent on destroying our country. Dear countrymen and women, we
will not allow them.
7. Night
after night, day after day, our security forces continue to engage the
terrorists in battle. My gratitude goes out to our armed forces whose will has
been greatly challenged by this insurgency more than any other time, since the
civil war.
8. Yet, they have remained undaunted
and unwearied in the face of constant challenge and mortal danger. Driven by
patriotic zeal, they are turning the tide by their prowess and determination.
As Commander-in-Chief, I will continue to do all it takes to enable them to
keep on inflicting devastating blows at the heart of terror. Fellow Nigerians,
it is our collective duty as patriots to avail our men and women in uniform of
all the support they need to fight and win this war.
9. This Administration is committed
to making Nigeria safe for all Nigerians, irrespective of our places of birth,
how we worship God and our political persuasion. To all those waging war
against our country, I ask that you lay down your arms and embrace peace.
10. To those who have genuine grievances, I
affirm that Nigeria will listen to you, if you bring your grievances to the
table of dialogue. To the good people of Nigeria, let me restate that our task
of building a better and greater country must not waver.
11. While we continue to deploy our
resources in the fight against the terrorists, we do recognize the great toll
the conflict is taking on our people.
12. This is why, to assist the afflicted, we
have launched the Victims Support Fund, an independent multi-sectoral charity,
which will aggressively solicit resources to augment Government’s statutory
intervention, in bringing succour to the injured, the displaced and the
bereaved.
13. In partnership with Nigerian business
leaders and international partners, we have also introduced the Safe Schools
Initiative which is aimed at promoting safe environments for education
nationwide, starting with the North East region.
14. The Presidential Initiative for the
North East, a comprehensive programme to fast-track the economic restoration of
this region, which has been the epicentre of terrorist activity, has been set
up.
15. Our overall objective is to do all we
possibly can, to sustain in the North-East, the momentum of economic
advancement, which is on-going in other parts of the country, despite the
machinations of the terrorists and their sponsors.
16. It should now be clear to anyone who was
ever in doubt that these terrorists do not mean well for anyone, of whatever
religion or dispensation. Their persistent choice of the weakest and most
vulnerable in society, for gruesome attack, provides an insight into their
abnormal mind-set.
17. I urge every Nigerian to put aside
political, sectional or other parochial considerations, and support
whole-heartedly the efforts of the government and the military, in checking
this evil.
18. We are grateful to the international
community, and especially our neighbours who are working closely with us in
confronting this challenge, for their increased partnership and solidarity. Our
steady progress in weakening the insurgency has certainly justified our
cooperation.
19. Fellow Nigerians, in my independence
anniversary address last year, I informed you that we had taken cognizance of
the suggestion over the years by well-meaning Nigerians on the need to focus
attention on rebuilding and strengthening the ligaments of our union. It was in
that regard that we announced the convening of a National Dialogue on the
future of our beloved country.
20. We have successfully delivered on that
promise as we established the 2014 National Conference headed by Justice Legbo
Kutigi. After months of deliberations, which did not come without its
challenges, the conference concluded its assignment and has handed its Report
to me.
21. I have made a firm commitment that we
would act on the recommendations of the conference. This, I have started by
setting up the Ministerial Committee headed by the Honourable Attorney General
of the Federation to work out the modalities for implementing the Report. Every
promise I make, God willing, I will see to its fulfilment. I assure you, we
shall implement the report.
22. One major lesson which the 2014 National
Conference has taught us as a country is that, a multi-ethnic country like
ours, must learn to embrace painstaking dialogue until consensus is
established.
23. To me, the National Conference is the
greatest centenary gift to our country that we must cherish and sustain.
24. Fellow Nigerians, our 54 year-journey as
a nation has not been easy. There have been tough periods, but the Nigerian
spirit and the unflagging resilience of our people have seen us through. We
will continue to march forward to greater heights.
25. We have been able to sustain a big,
strong and influential country with a robust economy. We are currently in our
sixteenth year of uninterrupted democratic rule, daily improving on the
consolidation of our democratic process.
26. Our Administration has made a commitment
to ensure that we build and sustain a democratic infrastructure anchored on
free and fair elections. International and local observers have attested to the
positive evolution of electoral credibility and we cannot afford to relent.
27. We will continue to ensure that the will
of the electorate prevails so that political leaders would be reminded at all
times that there is a day of reckoning when they have to go back to the people
at the polls. Election days must not be days of violence and death. We must
remain vigilant to ensure that our electoral process is characterised by peace,
security and transparency.
28. I enjoin the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC), all security agencies, politicians and the
electorate to work conscientiously and peacefully, together, to consolidate on
the gains of the recent elections. Free and fair elections have come to stay;
nothing else will be acceptable to our people.
29. My dear countrymen and women, occasions
such as this present an opportunity to thank God for our country and to report
to you, on our journey so far.
30. Our power sector reform is on course
with the ultimate objective of generating enough electricity to power our
homes, industries and businesses. We are making giant strides in the
Agricultural Sector which we are re-positioning to diversify our economy. We
will continue to upgrade our infrastructure to make life easier for all and
create an enabling environment for enterprise to flourish.
31. Over the last four years, the
implementation of the Nigerian Content Act in the Oil and Gas Sector has
ensured major increase in the participation of indigenous Oil and Gas companies
in the industry. Several critical infrastructure projects have been
commissioned and commenced. The level of indigenous asset ownership has greatly
increased and utilisation of Nigerian-owned and built assets such as marine
vessels and rigs is being progressively enforced.
32. There has been maximised local value
addition by encouraging the manufacture of equipment components and parts
within the country. There has also been
massive growth in indigenous participation in the provision of goods and
services to the upstream sector from 10% to 60% within the last four years.
33. Today, following the rebasing of our
economy, every international monitoring and ratings agency now acknowledges
Nigeria as the largest economy in Africa, with a Gross Domestic Product of five
hundred and ten billion dollars ($510 billion) which also places us as the 26th
largest economy in the world. This is progress.
34. Earlier in the year, we launched the
Nigeria Industrial Revolution Plan (NIRP) and the National Enterprise
Development Programme (NEDEP) with the stated objective of fast tracking
inclusive growth, job creation, enterprise development and industrialisation.
35. The success of these policies is already
evident in the increased value addition in the agricultural and manufacturing
sectors.
36. In line with our objective of
encouraging the production of made-in-Nigeria vehicles and making Nigeria a
regional hub for the automobile industry, a number of foreign auto
manufacturers have established plants in Nigeria, complementing the laudable
efforts of our local vehicle manufacturers who have also demonstrated great
innovation and competitiveness.
37. We have also launched a special support
programme for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises with an initial intervention
fund of two hundred and twenty billion naira (N220 b). This is in addition to the Presidential Job
Creation Board which I inaugurated recently with the charge to create three
million jobs annually.
38. In demonstration of our Administration’s
commitment to addressing Nigeria’s housing deficit, we have commenced the new
mortgage re-finance programme with the establishment of the Nigerian Mortgage
Re-finance Company. It is expected that, in addition to creating additional
housing units across the country, this initiative also represents a huge job
creation opportunity.
39. We have recorded notable success in the
social sector. Nigeria has been globally acknowledged for reducing extreme
hunger by more than half, with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
formally presenting the country with an award for achieving the Millennium
Development Goal on Hunger three years ahead of the 2015 target date set for
the Millennium Development Goals.
40. This progress is as a result of the
deliberate policy of government to increase capacity in our agricultural sector
of which the first step was to address and eliminate the graft in our fertilizer
procurement system and ensure that the product gets directly to the
farmer. We are expanding our irrigation
infrastructure to ensure that our farmers have sufficient water supply for dry
season farming.
41. A benefit of these combined actions is
that our national food import bill has declined from 1.1 trillion naira (6.9
billion dollars) in 2009 to 684.7 billion naira (4.35 billion dollars) by
December 2013, and continues to decline.
42. Modern hybrid schools are being provided
for less privileged children across the country, resulting in significant
increase in the national school enrollment figure.
43. In order to further enhance access to
education at the tertiary level, fourteen new Federal Universities have been
established; and, to encourage persons of exceptional abilities, our
Administration has also introduced a Presidential Scholarship Scheme based
strictly on excellence and merit.
44. On infrastructure, we are building
roads, bridges, and new rail lines to make it easier to traverse Nigeria and
increase the integration of our people and our ability to do business with each
other. In this regard, we have commenced the process of building the Second
Niger Bridge. The Loko-Oweto Bridge over River Benue in Nasarawa and Benue
States, will significantly reduce travel time by road between Northern and
Southern Nigeria. The on-going dredging of the River Niger up to Baro in Niger
State is opening up large parts of the Nigerian hinterland to maritime
activity.
45. The Zungeru and Mambilla Hydro-electric
power projects are on course, and the Kashimbilla dam which we started a few years
ago, is nearing completion. The successful privatisation of our power sector
will in the long run enhance industrial growth. Policies such as this and
others have raised Nigeria to the enviable status of being the number one
recipient of Foreign Direct Investment in Africa in the past year.
46. The result of this infrastructure drive
is that two and a half million jobs have been created over the past two years.
This is a record, which we are committed to improve upon to continue to provide
jobs for our youth.
47. An unprecedented number of Airports
across the country, are not only being reconstructed at the same time, but
being re-equipped and reassessed with emphasis on maintaining global standards.
48. Fellow Nigerians, the goals we set to
achieve for our country involve expanding the frontiers of economic freedom.
Let us therefore unite with one heart and one mind. All our people must have
access to the good things of life. All our people must be empowered to pursue
the gift of life with happiness. This is our country; we must build it for our
common posterity.
49. As we move into an election year,
desperate moves to overheat the polity are becoming a regular occurrence. Our political leaders in particular must know
that the contest for power should not translate to the destruction of the
polity.
50. The contest for the leadership of our
country must yield good governance, and not ungovernable spaces. The love of
country should rank higher than our individual ambitions.
51. We must remain committed to a united and
indivisible Nigeria within democratic parameters. The protection of individual
rights, liberty, equality before the law, freedom of thought, and a progressive
pursuit of a sound economy must be our goal.
52. I cannot end this address without
commenting on the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) which was sadly brought into
our country recently. My directives to the Federal Ministry of Health saw the
ministry leading the charge in curtailing the spread of this deadly scourge and
managing its impact. This is how it should be: swift, effective and
comprehensive action in defence of citizens.
53. It must be pointed out that the Ebola
battle is still raging elsewhere in our sub-region. I therefore enjoin all our
citizens to continue to adhere strictly to all the guidelines that have been
given by our health officials to keep Ebola out of our country.
54. I appreciate and welcome the spirit of
collaboration, unity and partnership with which we confronted the threat of the
Ebola Virus Disease. I thank all
Nigerians for working together to prevent what could have become a major
epidemic. I particularly thank the
medical personnel, some of whom made the ultimate sacrifice.
55. This is the spirit which we must
demonstrate at all times as we face up to our challenges as a nation: one
people, united by a common resolve, in the pursuit of one common national
interest.
56. As we look forward to another year in
our national life, I am more than confident that our tomorrow will be better
than our yesterday and today. Nigeria has got the human and material resources
to excel and we shall lead the way in that journey to our manifest destiny.
57. Fellow countrymen, brothers and sisters,
in all our plans, and in all our words and our actions, we must stand together
in love and unity, as one people under God.
58. We are one people from the womb of one
Nigeria. We are brothers and sisters. We are one family. We are Nigerians.
59. God bless the Federal Republic of
Nigeria.
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