Maniagist1: POLITICS NIGERIA has been furnished with a transcript of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Independence Day message to Nigerians. Kindly Read Below;
Dear Compatriots,
1st October each year is an opportunity for us to reflect and thank God for his endless blessings on our country.
2. It is also a time for us, collectively, to:
3. Remember the sacrifices made by our Founders and great leaders past; by soldiers, by distinguished public servants; by traditional leaders, by our workers —- sacrifices on which Nigeria has been built over the 59 years since Independence in 1960; and
4. Rededicate ourselves to attaining the goals which we have set for ourselves: a united, prosperous and purposeful nation in the face of 21st century opportunities and challenges.
5. In the past four years, the majority of Nigerians have committed to Change for the Better. Indeed, this Administration was re-elected by Nigerians on a mandate to deliver positive and enduring Change – through maintaining our National Security; restoring sustainable and inclusive Economic Growth and Development; and fighting Corruption against all internal and external threats.
6. This Change can only be delivered if we are united in purpose, as individuals and as a nation. We must all remain committed to achieving this positive and enduring Change. As I stated four years ago, “Change does not just happen… We must change our lawless habits, our attitude to public office and public trust… simply put, to bring about change, we must change ourselves by being law-abiding citizens.”
<strong>SECURITY:</strong>
7. Good Governance and Economic Development cannot be sustained without an enabling environment of peace and security. In the last four years, we have combatted the terrorist scourge of Boko Haram. We owe a debt of gratitude to our gallant men and women in arms, through whose efforts we have been able to achieve the present results. We are also grateful to our neighbours and allies – within the region and across the world – who have supported us on this front.
8. The capacity of our armed forces to defend our territorial integrity continues to be enhanced by the acquisition of military hardware as well as continued improvements in the working conditions of our service men and women.
9. The Ministry of Police Affairs has been resuscitated to oversee the development and implementation of strategies to enhance internal security. My recent assent to the Nigerian Police Trust Fund (Establishment) Act has created a legal framework to support our Police with increased fiscal resources to enhance their law enforcement capabilities.
10. These initiatives are being complemented by the ongoing recruitment of 10,000 constables into the Nigeria Police Force. This clearly demonstrates our commitment to arrest the incidence of armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes across our nation.
11. We remain equally resolute in our efforts to combat militant attacks on our oil and gas facilities in the Niger Delta and accelerate the Ogoni Clean-up to address long-standing environmental challenges in that region.
12. The recent redeployment of the Niger Delta Development Commission from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs underscores our commitment to enhance the living standards of our communities in the Niger Delta, through coordinated and appropriate programmes.
13. Our attention is increasingly being focused on cyber-crimes and the abuse of technology through hate speech and other divisive material being propagated on social media. Whilst we uphold the Constitutional rights of our people to freedom of expression and association, where the purported exercise of these rights infringes on the rights of other citizens or threatens to undermine our National Security, we will take firm and decisive action.
14. In this regard, I reiterate my call for all to exercise restraint, tolerance and mutual respect in airing their grievances and frustrations. Whilst the ongoing national discourse on various political and religious issues is healthy and welcome, we must not forget the lessons of our past – lessons that are most relevant on a day such as this.
15. The path of hatred and distrust only leads to hostility and destruction. I believe that the vast majority of Nigerians would rather tread the path of peace and prosperity, as we continue to uphold and cherish our unity.
ACCELERATING SUSTAINABLE AND INCLUSIVE ECONOMY GROWTH
16. This Administration inherited a skewed economy, where the Oil Sector comprised only 8% of Gross Domestic Product but contributed 70% of government revenue and 90% foreign exchange earnings over the years. Past periods of relatively high economic growth were driven by our reliance on Oil Sector revenues to finance our demand for imported goods and services. Regrettably, previous governments abandoned the residual Investment-driven Non-Oil Sector, which constituted 40% of Gross Domestic Product and comprised agriculture, livestock, agro-processing, arts, entertainment, mining and manufacturing activities that provide millions of jobs for able-bodied Nigerians and utilize locally available raw materials and labour for production.
17. To address this imbalance, our commitment to achieving economic diversification has been at the heart of our economic strategies under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, which I launched on the 5th of April, 2017.
18. This medium-term development plan charted the trajectory for our economy to exit from recession and return to the path of sustainable, diversified and inclusive growth for Nigerians. Pursuant to these reforms, the economy has recovered and we have had 9 successive quarters of growth since our exit from recession. The exchange rate in the last 3 years has remained stable, with robust reserves of US$42.5 billion, up from US$23 billion in October 2016.
19. Learning from the mistakes of the past, this Administration is committed to responsibly managing our oil wealth endowments. We will continue to prudently save our oil income and invest more in the non-oil job-creating sectors.
20. In this regard, we are significantly increasing investments in critical infrastructure. Last year, capital releases only commenced with the approval of the Budget in June 2018. However, as at 20th June this year, up to N1.74 trillion had been released for capital projects in the 2018 fiscal year.
21. Implementation of the 2019 Capital Budget, which was only approved in June 2019, will be accelerated to ensure that critical priority projects are completed or substantially addressed. The Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning has been directed to release N600 billion for Capital Expenditure in the next 3 months.
22. To maximise impact, we shall continue to increasingly welcome and encourage private capital for infrastructural development through Public Private Partnerships. Through the Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme, which I initiated in January this year, we are giving incentives to private sector inflow of over N205 billion in 19 Nigerian roads and bridges of 794.4km across in 11 States of the Federation.
23. As we push to diversify the economy, we still remain focused on optimizing the revenues generated from the oil and gas sector. We will, working with the Legislature, soon pass the Petroleum Industry Bill and amendments to the Deep Offshore Act and Inland Basin Production Sharing Contracts Act into law, to ensure Government obtains a fair share of oil revenues, whilst encouraging private sector investment.
24. We will also continue our fight against illegal bunkering of crude oil and the smuggling of refined petroleum products across our borders, including the diligent prosecution and conviction of offenders found guilty of these acts. Whilst Nigeria remains committed to free and fair continental and international trade, we will not hesitate to take all necessary steps to tackle illegal smuggling, transshipment and other predatory trade practices that destroy jobs in our country.
25. We are resolute in reforming the power sector. In August this year, we launched the Presidential Power Initiative to modernize the National Grid in 3 phases: starting from 5 Gigawatts to 7 Gigawatts, then to 11 Gigawatts by 2023, and finally 25 Gigawatts afterwards. This programme, in partnership with the German Government and Siemens, will provide end-to-end electrification solutions that will resolve our transmission and distribution challenges.
26. The programme will also look to localize the development and assembly of smart meters as well as the operations and maintenance capabilities of transmission and distribution infrastructure.
27. I am pleased with the improved inter-agency collaboration between the Ministry of Power and the regulators in the banking and power sectors to ensure that electricity sales, billings and collections are automated and become cashless.
28. These initiatives are important to ensure that the technical and collection losses in the sector are substantially reduced. I remain confident that Nigerians will have affordable and uninterrupted electricity supply in the not too distant future.
29. Our efforts to improve the power sector will complement other infrastructure investments projects under the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund, which is investing in the Mambilla Power Plant project, as well as key economic road infrastructure such as the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Second Niger Bridge and Abuja-Kano Expressway. The first set of these projects remain on track to be completed by 2022.
30. Our journey to food security and self-sufficiency is well underway. We have made remarkable progress in almost all segments of the agriculture value chain, from fertilizers to rice, to animal feed production. We shall sustain these policies to ensure additional investments are channeled, thereby creating more jobs in the sector. We must not go back to the days of importing food and thereby exporting jobs.
31. Our commitment to achieving macroeconomic stability and economic diversification, has been underscored by the merger of the Ministry of Finance with the Ministry of Budget and National Planning.
32. This combined Ministry has the important mandate to enhance the management of domestic and global fiscal risks; coordinate policies with the trade and monetary authorities; raise and deploy revenues to fund budgeted expenditure; and integrate annual budgets and medium-term fiscal strategies.
33. With this, our revenue-generating and reporting agencies will come under much greater scrutiny, going forward, as the new performance management framework will reward exceptional revenue performance, while severe consequences will attend failures to achieve agreed revenue targets.
34. I recently constituted an Economic Advisory Council to advise me on inclusive and sustainable macroeconomic, fiscal and monetary policies. This independent body will work with relevant Cabinet members and the heads of key monetary, fiscal and trade agencies to ensure we remain on track as we strive for collective prosperity. However, we are also committed to ensure that the inconvenience associated with any painful policy adjustments, is moderated, such that the poor and the vulnerable, who are most at risk, do not bear the brunt.
35. Our ongoing N500 billion Special Intervention Programme continues to target these vulnerable groups, through the Home-grown School Feeding Programme, Government Economic Empowerment Programme, N-Power Job Creation Programme, loans for traders and artisans, Conditional Cash Transfers to the poorest families and social housing scheme.
36. To institutionalize these impactful programmes, we created the Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development which shall consolidate and build on our achievements to date. To the beneficiaries of these programmes, I want to reassure you that our commitment to social inclusion will only increase.
37. Our population growth rate remains amongst the highest in the world, presenting both challenges as well as opportunities. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that we provide adequate resources to meet the basic needs of our teeming youth.
38. Accordingly, we shall continue to invest in education, health, water and sanitation, as well as food security, to ensure that their basic needs are met, while providing them with every opportunity to live peaceful, prosperous and productive lives.
FIGHTING CORRUPTION AND RESTORING GOOD GOVERNANCE:
39. On fighting corruption, our institutional reforms to enforce the Treasury Single Account policy, introduce the Whistle-blowers’ Initiative, expand the coverage of the Integrated Payroll Personnel and Information System as well as the Government Integrated Management Information System have saved billions of Naira over the last four years, and deterred the rampant theft and mismanagement of public funds that have plagued our public service.
40. The Ministry of Justice, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will continue to address this menace. We are determined to ensure that transparency and good governance are institutionalized in public service.
41. We must commit to installing a culture of Good Governance in all we do. This Administration has fought against corruption, by investigating and prosecuting those accused of embezzlement and the misuse of public resources. We have empowered teams of prosecutors, assembled detailed databases of evidence, traced the proceeds of crimes and accelerated the recovery of stolen funds.
42. Furthermore, we partnered with our friends abroad to combat tax evasion, smuggling, terrorism and illicit financial flows. In June 2018, I assented to the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act, to provide a domestic legal framework for obtaining international assistance in criminal matters.
43. This measure has already strengthened our law enforcement agencies in obtaining evidence, investigating suspects and facilitating the recovery, forfeiture and confiscation of property implicated as proceeds of crime.
44. An example is the US$300 million recently identified as part of the Abacha money-laundering case, working closely with the Government of the United States of America. The Federal Ministry of Justice is working with the US Department of Justice to conclude a Memorandum of Understanding to expedite the repatriation of these funds.
45. The P & ID Arbitral Award has underscored the manner in which significant economic damage has been caused by the past activities of a few corrupt and unpatriotic Nigerians.
46. The policies that we are putting in place today are to ensure such criminal and unpatriotic acts do not go without consequences. Our renewed partnership with the 9th National Assembly will facilitate the swift passage of enabling laws that will institutionalize these anti-corruption efforts in our criminal justice system.
47. In this connection, I call upon our States to intensify their own efforts to instill greater fiscal transparency and accountability. And to ensure greater fiscal efficiency and optimum use of our very scarce resources.
48. The blight of Corruption is fighting back. Nevertheless, this is a battle that we shall see through and this is a war, which we shall win by the Grace of God.
49. I will also call upon all Nigerians, from every walk of life, to combat Corruption at every turn. By choosing to question and confront corrupt practices, by reporting unethical practices or through whistleblowing. Together, we can overcome corruption and will no longer be a country defined by corruption.
50. Fellow Nigerians, let me reiterate my call for unity across our dear nation.
51. Nigeria will emerge from our present challenges stronger and more resilient than ever – but only if all of us join hands to entrench Good Governance, foster Inclusive Economic Development, and defend and protect our Nation from all those who would wish us ill.
52. I thank you most sincerely and wish you a Happy Independence Anniversary.
53. May God bless you all, and may He continue to bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Only some one dead in the brain would support a man who has never shown brilliance in his life both academically not career wise. Dead people everywhere.
There was no national Independence Day parade in 1975. Brigadier Murtala Muhammad ordered a low key celebration. However, states were encouraged to have parades at which school children marched. This is the Lagos State parade at the National Stadium, Surulere.
The video begins with a view of the crowd outside the main bowl of the stadium.
Then we see the Lagos State governor, Navy Captain Adekunle Lawal, delivering his speech. While Governor Lawal is reading his speech, we also see the NBC cameraman and a cross section of the spectators, including white cap chiefs.
Finally we see the school children as they march past the governor. I can recognise Methodist Girls High School, St Gregory’s College Ikoyi and Igbobi College Yaba.
OEPHIUS: Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has urged Nigerians to remain steadfast in the pursuit of peace, unity and brotherhood among all citizens of the country.
The Governor who made the appeal in his message on the 59th anniversary of the nation’s independence, also reiterated his commitment to the fulfillment of his promises to ensure the security of lives and property, enhancement of good governance and sustenance of economic growth in Enugu State.
While congratulating President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) and all Nigerians on the anniversary, he paid tribute to the founding fathers of the nation “whose sacrifices and contributions paved way for the country’s attainment of independence which we celebrate today”
Governor Ugwuanyi further commended the fighting spirit of the founding fathers, the fallen heroes and heroines, the Armed Forces and other security and paramilitary agencies for their efforts and sacrifices to preserve the unity and integrity of the country.
“My special respects and gratitude also go to the good people of Enugu State – our distinguished elders and leaders, public and civil servants, the artisans, members of the various professional bodies, market men and women and Ndi Enugu at home and in the Diaspora for your solidarity and unflinching support to our Government”, the Governor added.
Every tribe feels their own son is the best. Media hype image polishing and trying to doing public relations stunts finally the person would get to office and embezzle. Why can't we just go our separate ways so that every one can elevate his ethic group an their selves to death? Let's Sha keep decieving our selves one day it will happen.
A dead country with a dead president voted by dead people. Anyone who believes that Nigeria would rise again is as dead as ever can be. For spilling the blood of the innocent,Nigeria will Never know peace.
[s]quote author=naptu2 post=82708045]The sale of the tanks became controversial. Sometime around 1993, I listened to a question posed by a Labour member of Parliament to the British Prime Minister, John Major about those tanks. He asked how a Conservative government could have sold tanks to a military dictatorship in Nigeria and whether the prime minister was aware that those tanks were used to subvert democracy in a coup (I assume that he was referring to the 1992 SAP riots and the 1993 June 12 riots).[/quote][/s]
My own dear brothers and sisters. Though tribe and tongue may differ, In familyhood we stand. Nigerians all, be proud to serve Our sovereign Motherland.
Our flag shall be a symbol That truth and justice reign. In peace or battle honour'd, And this we count as gain. To hand on to our children A banner without stain.
O God of all creation (evolution and atheist et al) Grant this our one request. Help us to build a nation Where no one is oppressed, And so with peace and plenty Nigeria may be blessed.
[s]quote author= post=82717960]Yes, in one Nigeria we believe. Our unborn children's children will be here to celebrate Nigeria's 1000 year Independence Anniversary. God bless Nigeria.
Oluwabash: REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, AT THE 59TH INDEPENDENCE DAY INTERDENOMINATIONAL CHURCH SERVICE, AT THE NATIONAL CHRISTIAN CENTRE, ON THE 29TH OF SEPTEMBER, 2019
PROTOCOLS
God had promised, through the mouths of His trusted prophets, that He is giving us a New Nigeria! May I announce to you today that God is ready to take us into the Promised Land, the new Nigeria.
And we must remember that God, the Almighty God is the builder of nations, that God controls the destinies of nations and its people. Psalms 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness. The world and those who dwell therein.”
God promised the children of Israel that He would take them from bondage, suffering and slavery into the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey.
By the hand of Joshua, God brought His promise to pass. They got to the Jordan and as their feet touched the water, the Jordan was separated and they walked on dry land all across the Jordan.
They got to Jericho, a well-fortified city and they did not fire a shot, they brought down the walls of Jericho by a shout. Thereafter, when they were about to take the Promised Land, after Moses had asked that some go and spy out the land, some of those who went to spy said that it would be impossible to take the city, impossible to enter the Promised Land. However, Caleb and Joshua had a different spirit, and they said that because God had promised and because He could do it, all the problems were just bread, mere bread to be eaten by the children of Israel.
God has promised us a new Nigeria, a peaceful Nigeria, a prosperous Nigeria, a Nigeria where justice and equity shall prevail, a united Nigeria, where the different tribes and tongues are not wedges of separation, but the joyful textures of our togetherness. God is ready to fulfill His promise.
We stand outside the new city, the Promised Land, the new Nigeria; like the spies sent by Moses to spy out the Promised Land, some are saying, “Ha! It is impossible, Nigeria cannot change, the ethnic and religious divisions are too deep, corruption cannot end, politicians are too selfish and mischievous.”
Yet, like Caleb and Joshua, we declare that these problems are merely bread for us, we will enter the Promised Land!
The new Nigeria is here, and each and every one of us, our families, our friends, all of us, will eat the pleasant fruits of this land.
God Almighty has taken away the protection of the enemies of this nation. He has taken away their powers, the noise we hear, the turbulence we experience, are the last gasps of a defeated foe. The day of freedom is at the door.
As with Abraham, we in the words of Hebrews 11:10 wait for the new Nigeria, which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
As we wait, we declare in the words of Psalms 46:8-11 -“Come, behold the works of the Lord, who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. Be still and know that I am God! I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”
Amen!
Happy 59th Independence Day Anniversary!
God bless Nigeria!
Released by: Laolu Akande Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity Office of the Vice President 29th September 2019
obembet: Its too late for this generation dear. Let election come now, u will see southern shouting Buhari /atiku
There is still hope for now. The north has no intention of development and its affecting the south seriously. if we dont do something soon,our children would blame us. we are not running a country but destroying it. the best bet is to jump ship. Those who want to be backward can continue to be so.
The greatest mistake for the black man was amalgamation. The southern part of Nigeria is in serious bondage. We need to be free from these Northerners before it's too late. Division is the only way forward .
juvewalex: A blessed nation occupied by the most wicked souls on earth called politicians who have turned developments into science discoveries and studies .
Since 1960 , we are still under developed nation with so much to be desired and with lot of potentials .
We have been made acustomed to see awful things as normal way of living and no hope insight to make the country great .
It is unfortunate I could not choose my nationality before I was born...
Slayer1914: NIGERIA NAMED ONE OF WORLD BANK’S TOP-20 IMPROVERS IN DOING BUSINESS FOR 2020
Friday, 27th September, 2019
The World Bank Doing Business (DB) team has just announced Nigeria as one of the top-20 improvers in doing business out of 190 countries. This announcement comes ahead of the 24th October release of the 2020 World Bank Doing Business rankings.
The World Bank Doing Business Report is an objective assessment of prevailing business environments based on a number of ease of doing business indicators. In Nigeria, the report assesses doing business conditions in the two largest commercial cities of Lagos and Kano.
The World Bank’s announcement acknowledges reforms spearheaded by the PEBEC in the areas of “operationalising a new electronic platform that integrates the tax authority and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)”. It also acknowledges reforms carried out in some of the World Bank Doing Business indicator areas such as starting a business, registering property, getting construction permits, getting electricity, enforcing contracts, and trading across borders.
“The CAC also upgraded its name reservation platform and, in Kano, there is now an electronic platform for registering business premises online, eliminating the need to appear in person. In Lagos, land administration was made more transparent following the digitisation of cadastral plans in a geographic information system; digital copies of cadastral plans are now easily obtainable. Nigeria also made getting electricity easier by allowing certified engineers to conduct inspections for new connections. Initiatives also made commercial litigation of smaller cases more efficient. The Chief Judges in Lagos and Kano issued practice directions for small claims courts introducing pre-trial conferences and limit adjournments. Finally, customs integrated more agencies into its electronic data interchange system, and port authorities launched an e-payment system, speeding up both exports and imports.”
Over the past three years, Nigeria’s score has steadily improved in the World Bank Doing Business Report, after years of decline in both score and ranking in the years preceding 2016. In 2017, Nigeria moved up by an unprecedented 24 places on the Doing Business rankings. For the first ever, Nigeria was also recognised as one of the top 10 reformers in the area of doing business that year.
Welcoming the announcement, the Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, said that “the recognition being given to Nigeria as one of the top 20 most improved countries, who have implemented the most reforms this year, is significant because we weren’t even able to achieve some of the key reforms we had pursued, but what we have done so far is being recognised. This validation confirms that our strategy is working and we will continue to push even harder.”
These improvements in the standing of Nigeria trail the reform agenda being implemented at national and sub-national levels across the country since the establishment of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) by President Muhammadu Buhari in July, 2016. The PEBEC works towards the fulfilment of the projections of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP 2017-2020), which is striving to deliver sustainable economic growth in Nigeria by restoring growth, investing in our people, and building a competitive economy.
The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council through the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat has carried out over 140 reforms so far in a bid to remove bureaucratic constraints to doing business in Nigeria and make the country a progressively easier place to start and grow a business.
With the impending ratification of the Companies and Allied Matters Bill and the introduction of the Business Facilitation (Omnibus) Bill, 2019 in view, along with other pending regulatory, judicial and sub-national reforms, Nigeria is poised to meet its goal of being a top 100 ranked economy by 2020. The announcement is indicates that our goal of moving into the top 70 doing business destinations by 2023 remains achievable.
GreetMe: No matter how united Europe is through EU.... everybody still answers to their respective countries. Europe that majority of the countries are monoethnic and monolingual. colonial masters couldn't learn from that, they still went ahead and lumped us together
akelicious: Forget Biafra, A United Nigeria’ll Be Greater Than Europe –Onyeama Calls For Unity
The Chairman, Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, has said, if Nigeria harnesses its human, natural and natural resources well and embraces unity, the country will be greater than all the countries in Europe put together.
Onyema, who had offered his company’s aircraft to airlift stranded Nigerians in South Africa following the recent xenophobic attacks, made the assertion in Lagos on Thursday during his investiture as an ‘Ambassador of Change’ by a non-governmental organisation, Centre for Change.
The Air Peace boss urged all Nigerians to work together in salvaging the country, saying government alone could not develop the country.
He said, “Nigeria is a country of 378 ethnic nationalities; that means we have a huge diversity. This diversity is supposed to be our strength but it has become an albatross of a kind to us. Why can’t we manage our diversity for the good and development of our nation?
“This country is blessed. The resources – human, natural and mineral resources we have in this country, if well harnessed, and if we do things in unity, this country will be greater than all the countries of Europe put together.”
Chiefochiefo: Nigeria my country. I wouldn't have loved to come from any other country except NIGERIA. I can die for my Nigeria. God bless my country Nigeria, God bless those in diaspora making our name ring bell, God bless us at home cleaning and creating enabling environment. F*uck Canada, f*uck America. We leave and die here.
Politics › Re: President Buhari’s Independence Day Speech To Nigerians "FULL TRANSCRIPT" by meccuno: 9:54am On Oct 01, 2019
