Former Deputy Governor of Benue State, Chief Stephen Lawani, has congratulated Nigerians on the nation’s 56th independence anniversary, describing it as a major milestone.
Lawani, who spoke in Abuja, said that notwithstanding the harsh economic situation in the country, freedom calls for celebration and reflection.
“I think we must congratulate ourselves for Nigeria’s survival despite the challenges from the dawn of independence to this very day. I know it could have been better but we must also thank God that Nigerians are still together in one country, working for a common goal,” the ex- deputy governor said in a statement issued by his media office.
“Therefore a day like this brings hope and also reminds us of our tortuous journey to nationhood. It is imperative for us to reminiscent today on the heroic and patriotic pre-independence struggles of our founding fathers, the Civil War, the oil boom, the missed opportunities and the current economic challenges facing us.
“But our people must not despair even in the midst of all the myriad of challenges because we have what it takes to be great. Nigeria is hugely blessed in both human and material resources and we are too important to fail.
“If one out of every five black persons in the world is a Nigerian, then we cannot afford not to succeed. We must reinvent ourselves for future generations, for our brothers and sisters within the African continent and even for all black people in the Diaspora.”
“This is what this generation owes the entire Africans and other people of color all over the world and I am confident that it will be achieved in no distant time,” he said.
