Okorocha felicitates as Nigeria turns 55

PUNCH.

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha

The Governor of Imo State and the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Governors’ Forum, Rochas Okorocha, has joined millions of patriotic Nigerians all over the world to wish the country and her citizenry happy 55th Independence Day celebration.

In a press statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha said for Nigeria to have remained one indivisible nation for 55 years in spite of all the challenges that had been confronting her as a multi-ethnic nation, not only deserved to be celebrated but also called for thanks-giving to God Almighty.

He said, “At 55, Nigeria as a nation and Nigerians as a people should begin to see the unity of the country as a development that has become indelible which should also encourage the citizenry to think less about tribal and religious differences and think more about the harmony and progress of the nation.

“Nigerians should equally begin to take the wordings of the National Anthem and the National Pledge more seriously than they had ever done before. The truth is that the wordings of the National Anthem and the National Pledge should stand as the creed of all Nigerians of goodwill. The National Anthem should not be seen and treated as an ordinary music and the National Pledge shouldn’t be seen and recited as an ordinary poem. Their wordings call for a sober reflection on the part of Nigerians.

“As a matter of fact, at 55, Nigerians should also grow beyond ethnic war songs. Hence, ethnic associations and groups beating ethnic war drums should put a halt to that. Even the quest for sovereignty by some zonal or ethnic bodies should also be dropped, since such tendencies have no meaningful contribution to make to the unity, development and prosperity of the nation.”

He said that Nigeria had come to stay as a nation and that there was nothing anybody could do about that.

“What is expected is that all hands should be on deck to build a Nigeria of our collective dream where freedom, peace and unity abound, and where the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain.

“It is also important that Nigerians leverage on the 55th Independence Day event to pray for the leadership of the nation at the moment and the leadership at the state levels, and also pray that the lofty desire of President Muhammadu Buhari to rid Nigeria of corruption should produce the needed result,” he said.