Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has emphasised the need for Nigerians to unite for the growth and progress of the country irrespective of their religious differences and ethnic nationalities.
The governor stated this on Wednesday, at the 65th anniversary celebration of Nigeria’s Independence, which was held at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasigba, Ibadan.
Speaking on the theme: “Unity and Rebuilding,” Governor Makinde, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Barr Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal, said that Nigerians must be united and keep hope alive in order to achieve the best for the country.
The governor charged all Nigerians to suppress tendencies that divide the nation and focus on things that lift it up, noting that the country must take a cue from India and China, which economies are thriving despite their population and many differences.
Governor Makinde congratulated the people of Oyo State and Nigerians for the opportunity to witness another independence day celebration, noting that the country still has many years ahead to rebuild and correct past mistakes.
He said: “I want to, first of all, say congratulations to all of us in Nigeria for witnessing the 65th anniversary of the country’s independence today, 1st of October.
“It is an awesome day, it is an amazing day in the history and honour of Nigeria, because it typifies our independence. And, you can talk of independence, in all ramifications, economic independence, psychological independence, mental independence, even bodily independence.
“So, to really come together this day to observe independence is a real privilege to all of us.
“Secondly, you would observe that the theme of this year’s Independence Day is unity and rebuilding. What that tells all Nigerians is that we need to emphasise unity amongst ourselves.
“We must be united, because united we stand, divided we fall. So, we must stand united so that we can make progress in Nigeria.
“The second thing that this year’s celebration typifies is that we must keep hope alive. We must not be despondent. Our hope must be well-ignited and well-pursued.
“We have some countries that the population is about 1.4 billion, like India, like China, with diverse religious tendencies and ethnic differences. But in unity, the economies of India and China are very strong. So, the hope for us in Nigeria is that we must be united, even in our diversity, so that together we can lift ourselves and then forge ahead as a nation.
“Those tendencies that divide us must be suppressed; we must lift up the tendencies that unite. That way, Nigeria will be greater than what it is today.
“So, today’s celebration, 65th, as I told you, in the life of a nation, which is a continuum, as you know, is just like a day. We have plenty of time ahead of Nigeria as a nation to correct our mistakes and to rebuild and to forge unity, in spite of our differences in tribe and religion.”
Highlights of the celebration included a march past and presentation of prizes, among others.
The event had in attendance the Deputy Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Mohammed Fadeyi; Head of Service, Mrs Olubunmi Oni, mni; top government functionaries and other dignitaries.
