By Jennifer John
Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma has posited that there is much to cheer about Nigeria, 60 years after independence.
The governor expressed this view in his message during the Independence Day celebration at the Heroes Square, Owerri, even as he noted that the country faced myriads of challenges that has dwindled the hope and expectations of Nigerians.
“Challenges persist and they seem to grow by the day. Some of the challenges have been daunting and sometimes call to question, we believe in Nigeria and our trust in the nation. As years passed, the onerous task of governance appears to have dented our national pride and dwarfed our expectations.
“For instance, ethnic, religious and political divisions exist, with increasing violence. Civil tension ravages the country, with bloodletting from terrorist activities, banditry and other criminal activities. In addition, corrosive corruption in all facets of our society makes governance more herculean.
“The horrendous civil war and serial military rule in the short span of 60 years have not helped matters either”.
“However, in spite of these obvious drawbacks, there is so much to cheer about Nigeria. We should be celebrating the sacrifices of our founding fathers, which gave birth to the Nigerian nation. We should be celebrating the resilience and unwavering commitment of our countrymen and women to project Nigeria, which has kept this country together, in spite of all odds.
“So many things have happened these 60 years to tell us that God loves our country, it is worth celebrating that in spite of every scary twists and turn, Nigeria has remained one indivisible nation to the glory of God”.
The Imo State governor called for a recommitment to project Nigeria and for Nigerians to embrace acts that could promote unity and peaceful coexistence, which he said was the grand vision of his administration propelling him to make impressive strides in addressing the rot he met on ground when he assumed office.
He called on all Nigerians to join President Muhammadu Buhari in saying no to corruption and support his administration, which he said was working assiduously to remedy the mistakes of the past.
