Rediscovering The Spirit of Nigeria
Being the Text of a Speech by Governor Alex C. Otti, OFR, on the 64th Anniversary of Nigeria’s Independence on Tuesday, October 1, 2024
1. Umunne m Ndi Abia, fellow compatriots, I bring you Independence Day greetings from Umuahia, the capital of our beloved State. Let me gladly join other well-meaning Nigerians in thanking God for His endless blessings on our land and for keeping us together as one people, united in a shared vision of greatness as espoused in the dreams and aspirations of our founding fathers.
2. At 64, Nigeria has emerged as an important regional player and influential voice in the continent. Our compatriots have contributed immensely in expanding the acres of human influence in the universe, pioneering and supporting ground-breaking research projects, shattering several glass ceilings in the academia, medicine, sports, arts and in several other frontiers of human calling. On the strength of our litany of accomplishments across several areas of enterprise at home and overseas, our people have demonstrated that we are not just mere passengers on the train of human civilization, but co-captains who are as interested in creating new possibilities for humanity as any other race.
3. We are widely known as a nation of great songs and musicians, dreamers and happy people. Even then, our phenomenon lies in an uncanny ability to evolve, adapt and thrive. Nigeria is a national community of philosophers and thinkers but we are also never afraid to admit that we are humans, full of emotions and imperfections. Our country is the home of adventurous warriors and fighters who would march to the ends of the earth in defence of the values that we hold dear. The world has in the last 64 years come to appreciate Nigeria as a land of resilient and generous souls who epitomize the highest standards of human spirit and ideals.
4. At 64, we should look back with pride and congratulate ourselves for the immense contributions our country and compatriots have made in keeping the ship of human civilization in continuous sail, especially during moments of turbulence. From Burma to India, Sierra Leone and Liberia and in a dozen other regions of the world, Nigeria has made important sacrifices in human and material resources to keep mankind from sinking into the abyss of inordinate designs by sinister forces.
5. While a day like this offers a great opportunity to revel in national pride, we must also take a moment to reflect on our journey as one people united in a shared destiny. The crises of poverty, unemployment, unpredictable macroeconomic trajectory, failing public infrastructure and expanding frontlines of insecurity have combined to dampen the enthusiasm of millions of our compatriots. Opinions may vary for reasons of political affiliations and interests, but it will be hard to objectively convince any genuine patriot that this is the best we can be.
6. The joy that greeted the lowering of the Union Jack and the raising of Nigeria’s green, white, green flag at midnight on October 1, 1960, tells the story of anticipation, faith and enthusiasm to begin a new journey by Nigerians of all ethnic nationalities. The dismay on the faces of millions of our compatriots today tells the story of failure to live up to that lofty expectation that heralded our Independence. Whatever your motivation may be, it would be uncharitable to dismiss the disappointment of those who have been dealt a harsh blow by the present socio-economic realities which have subjected many to destitution and anxiety. Today presents us a unique opportunity to think less of ourselves and spare a thought for our brothers and sisters suffering the pains of displacement and heartache on account of insecurity, poverty, and accidents of human errors and poor judgment.
7. It is always fashionable to blame those in positions of privilege for the woes of our nation, but we must also probe deeper to find instances of our own complicity in the challenges that have plagued our nation in the last six decades and more. When we condone corruption and malfeasance in our various establishments, or place primordial sentiments of tribe and religion above objectivity in our response to national issues, we simply water the ground for unending cycles of failure.
8. The great thing about our Independence Day celebration is the unique opportunity it provides to ask a few soul-searching questions of ourselves. Ultimately, our most promising path to national reawakening is to begin to think less of ourselves as individuals and tribesmen but rise collectively to the responsibilities of true citizenship. We have been called to reclaim ownership of our country, make sacrifices and hold ourselves to higher standard of values and principles. Nigeria, as I have continuously maintained, can still rise to the glory of its founding, but we must do our part as patriots and citizens.
9. I want to appreciate our compatriots in Abia for our continuing faith and support for the Nigerian project. Like every other part of the country, we have also been challenged by the paradox of Nigeria and its many internal contradictions. We have refused to give in to despair because we understand the futility of abandoning the homestead when flames of fire go up in the sky. As historical and recent events have amply demonstrated, we are a community of phoenixes who build the masterpieces of the future from the ashes of yesterday’s ruins.
10. Thank you for your abiding faith in democracy. By your courage and resilience, you have shown the world that we are a people that cannot be conquered by anything in the enemy’s arsenal. We have become a pointer to what is possible in Nigeria when the flames of hope and optimism are sustained by the patriotic energy and spirit of the people, putting individual differences aside to push for the greater glory and freedom of the collective.
11. My message to our people today and always will be a very simple one: we must never give up hope. We may have failed several times in the past but what will matter most when our story will be told in time to come will not be how or where we stumbled, but how we were able to gather ourselves to try again, and again.
12. As history has taught us, every opposition eventually melts away when confronted by the will of a people who have resolved never to stop fighting until victory is won — whatever may be the cost. This prized national trait was demonstrated by our brave soldiers at Dodan when they fought against impossible odds during the Burma Campaign at the peak of the Second World War. That never-say-never spirit which carried our compatriots through, under very difficult conditions in a land, more than 6,000 miles away, is what we must now resurrect as we mark the 64th Independence Anniversary of our country.
13. With faith, we shall triumph, just like our gallant soldiers at Burma did more than 70 years ago to great acclaim. Fellow Nigerians, we must never give up on the dream that motivated the struggle for Independence because it is a solemn duty to which we must now rededicate our lives.
14. Again, we are called to look beyond the narrow confines of our selfish aspirations and keep our gaze on the glory that comes from placing the community over and above the greed of individuals. Nigeria shall arise because we have in us, the seeds of enduring greatness.
15. Happy Independence Anniversary, Nigeria.
Dr Alex C. Otti, OFR,
01/10/2024
