President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, officially unveiled the clock to commence the 50 day countdown to Nigeria’s 50th Independence Day celebration on October 1st.

In his address, at the event jointly organised by DAAR Communications and Integrated Management Resource at the Banquet Hall of the presidential villa, Mr. Jonathan directed that the countdown clocks be placed in strategic places across the country ahead of October 1, where Nigeria intends to reenact the same event of lowering of the Union Jack and the raising of the Nigerian flag 50 years ago.

“This event is to officially begin the countdown to the 50th year anniversary which will be celebrated on October 1, 2010. I have directed that the counting down clocks be placed at strategic places as a constant reminder of our jubilee independence anniversary,” he said.

“I dare say that current challenges notwithstanding, Nigeria has a glorious past worthy of celebration that should arose in us all the good things about Nigeria.

“We must rededicate ourselves to those patriotic ideas and creative potentials in us all. It is worthy of note that the event to celebrate our 50th independence anniversary is purely private sector initiative sponsored by Integrated Management Resources in partnership with DAAR Communications PLC, those organizations deserve our special commendation for the patriotic vision.”

Mr. Jonathan also stressed that Nigeria has reasons to celebrate the past 50 years adding that the world views Nigeria as a great country not in terms of its population but what it has been able to do in the past 50 years.

“If we have not made any impact globally this past 50 years we would have been written off long ago. We have our challenges we know that very clearly which is why this time around we are committed to move this country forward but we have every reason to celebrate the past 50 years” he added.

Media attention

The Chief Executive Officer, Integrated Management Resource, Oluwafemi Victor Walsh, said his belief in the Nigerian dream fostered his organisation to partner with DAAR Communications to put up the event.

“We believe in the Nigerian Vision and we believe in Mr. President. We believe Mr. President became President by divine intervention and that is why we are supporting this Nigeria at 50 project at our own small level,” he said.

Mr. Walsh further regretted that the tradition where kids used to match to celebrate the nation’s independence has been abandoned adding, “Nigerians now see it as a day to rest at home but this celebration gives us all the opportunity to immortalize and lay foundation for the next 50 years. If we cannot celebrate our past then let us celebrate our future”.

The company is putting together a project that will put Nigeria in the Guinness Book of World Records. It plans to unveil the 65, 000kg World’s largest cake at the National Stadium on 1st October 2010, aimed at rebranding Nigeria on the day.

“We enjoy the greatest global media attention since 1960,” he said.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Politics/5605388-147/countdown_to_independence_celebration_begins_.csp

Yepee
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jobless people shio

They should set specific targets on only 1 problem: power availability and then unveil a clock to countdown to the target.

anyone know where them go mount the clocks? i want remove some sell use the money hold bodi. only God knows how much the contracting firms would have made.

Countdown to unaccountable debauchery.

useless people, watin we dey celebrate?

still trying to figure out how the world views Naija as a great country

funniest naija news @
http://nawa4u..com

Fimmy:

useless people, watin we dey celebrate?

We dey celebrate our 50th birthday. Simples

wales:


The company is putting together a project that will put Nigeria in the Guinness Book of World Records. It plans to unveil the 65, 000kg World’s largest cake at the National Stadium on 1st October 2010, aimed at rebranding Nigeria on the day.

Celebration indeed. Award winning Cake. N10 billion celebration.

GLJ is yummy-looking.

I decided not to celebrate it this year.

Pukkah:

They should set specific targets on only 1 problem: power availability and then unveil a clock to countdown to the target.

if only they can just do this! instead, they want to break a world record wasting funds on the world's largest cake

What is there to celebrate? Constant power supply? Low unemployment rates? Declining poverty indexes? Winning the war against corruption? I could go on and on cos the list is endless. But any Nigerian with at least one properly functioning brain cell knows that we have failed in all aspects that defines a country.
I believe the appropriate thing to do is to declare the 50 days leading to independence day as days of mourning (everyone dressed in black) culminating in crying for the country in all public squares across the country on independence day.

lol!

Countdown to what? ? ?
Nobody is counting over here.

@Shimao
Your comment made me laugh hard , i feel your pain o jare, it should really be a count down to a day of mourning 50 years of absolute nothing!!!!

Shimao:

What is there to celebrate? Constant power supply? Low unemployment rates? Declining poverty indexes? Winning the war against corruption? I could go on and on cos the list is endless. But any Nigerian with at least one properly functioning brain cell knows that we have failed in all aspects that defines a country.
I believe the appropriate thing to do is to declare the 50 days leading to independence day as days of mourning (everyone dressed in black) culminating in crying for the country in all public squares across the country on independence day.

ROTFLMAO. . .nice suggestion

Woohoo!
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Surely, there is a countdown. But only in Aso Rock, the NASS and Govt Houses!
GEJ is turning out to be a more and more of a disappointment.

It would be a good idea to have Nairaland Evaluation Committee in the NASS and all States Houses of Assembly. May be things could then start moving in the right direction in 9ja.

coal_coal:

if only they can just do this! instead, they want to break a world record wasting funds on the world's largest cake

Dont you want your own share of the national cake? ******pls i need my share ooooooo********

Be patriotic, use the Nigerian web address - YourName.COM.NG - Get it instantly from www.syscomptech.com.ng

God help this country, there's nothing wrong in celebrating, at least if not 4 anytin 4 da fact that we r still 2gether as 1 nation despite all the problems. WE NEED SERIOUS PRAYERS AS A NATION.

"Pity the nation that is full of beliefs and empty of religion.

Pity the nation that wears a cloth it does not weave,eats a bread it does not harvest, and drinks a wine that flows not from its own wine-press.

Pity the nation that acclaims the bully as hero,and that deems the glittering conqueror bountiful.

Pity the nation that despises a passion in its dream,yet submits in its awakening.

Pity the nation that raises not its voice save when it walks in a funeral,boasts not except among its ruins,and will rebel not save when its neck is laid between the sword and the block.

Pity the nation whose statesman is a fox,whose philosopher is a juggler,and whose art is the art of patching and mimicking.

Pity the nation that welcomes its new ruler with trumpeting,and farewell him with hooting,only to welcome another with trumpeting again.

Pity the nation whose sages are dumb with years and whose strong men are yet in the cradle.

Pity the nation divided into fragments,each fragment deeming itself a nation".

Culled from; Khalil Gibran, "The Garden Of The Prophets", London, Heineman,1934.

NOTE; This quotation describes Nigeria`s reality which our politicians and policy makers must wake up to,now that we are clocking 50 years of Independence.