BY Aminu Garko
Sen. Sani Musa, APC-Niger East and Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, has felicitated Nigerians on the nation’s 66 years of Independence Anniversary, urging citizens to rededicate themselves to nation-building and national unity.
In his anniversary message on Wednesday, Musa said every patriot would remember with pride the historic moment on Oct. 1, 1960 when the British Union Jack was lowered and the Green-White-Green flag hoisted, symbolising attainment of freedom from colonial rule and the beginning of the task of building a united, peaceful and prosperous nation.
“The journey has been eventful and the challenges enormous. But we can be proud of the progress that we have made, draw lessons from the missteps and rededicate ourselves to our historic mission of nation-building. We should never abandon that mission,” he said.
He said the nation’s founding fathers encountered difficulties arising from the diversity of the people, but embraced it as a potential source of strength and bound the country into an indissoluble union, with a dream of a diverse, united and prosperous Nigeria as a beacon of hope to Africa and the Black world.
“The founding fathers got nothing on a silver platter. Their dream of a glorious future for Nigeria inspired them in confronting the challenges of their time. That great heritage is what we are celebrating today. We must preserve and pass it to the coming generations.
“If our founding fathers had succumbed to the challenges that they encountered in their pursuit of independence, we would not today have a great country to celebrate. They faced their challenges and prevailed,” he said.
He said the current challenges, though numerous, were not insurmountable, urging Nigerians to confront them with the same resolve as the founding fathers.
He called on political, religious and traditional leaders as well as opinion influencers to unite for the good of the nation and to use appropriate channels to address issues in the spirit of democracy.
“Nigeria belongs to all its citizens, not to some more than the others,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to keep faith with the country and continue to work for collective security and prosperity.