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HIS EXCELLENCY SIR SIMINALAYI FUBARA’S REMARKS: AT NIGERIA’S 64TH INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE ARCADE, PORT HARCOURT ON OCTOBER FIRST, 2024
Protocols
Fraternal greetings to all of you who have gathered here on this auspicious morning as we join the rest of the country to celebrate the Independence of our country.
2. Today we celebrate the 64th Independence Day of our country. It was on this historic day in 1960 that the first Prime Minister of Nigeria, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Belewa raised our much cherished green-white-green flag to signify the independence and freedom of Nigeria from British colonial rule.
3. Therefore, today is an occasion to remember the heroic sacrifices and achievements of our founding fathers and all other brave men and women, who participated in one way or the other in the struggle for our freedom and rededicate ourselves to the unity, service and progress of our nation.
4. The vision of our founding fathers at independence was to build a united and secure nation anchored on the values of brotherhood, democracy, justice, and the equality of all peoples, tribes and nations.
5. Our leaders, past and present, have kept on doing their best to keep the country together and advance the progress and well-being of the citizens.
6. However, Nigeria still totters amid diverse challenges, including widespread human insecurity, after 64 years of self-rule. Indeed, the prevailing economic hardship has made life more difficult for most Nigerians.
7. But, despite, the economic hardship and social ills bedevilling our nation and stifling its progress, we still have good reasons to celebrate and be grateful to God as a nation and people.
8. We are known all over the world as hardworking, confident and happy people. We are known for our enormous natural and human resources and economic potential.
9. We are also known for our rich cultural diversity – a vibrant nation where different religions, languages and traditions co-exist peacefully.
10. This is truly what and who we are, and we should all be proud and thankful that God has endowed us with all that we need to build a great nation where no one is oppressed, and all can live in peace and plenty.
11. Fellow citizens, having been in office as Governor for a little over one year, I have come to realize as other patriots that the things that unite us, including our collective hopes and aspirations for a better nation, are more than the little differences that tend to divide us.
12. Therefore, it falls on all of us as citizens of this great country to keep faith with our founding leaders by reaffirming our fidelity to the credo that we are one indivisible nation under God and pledge ourselves to each other and the cause of freedom, peace, and justice.
13. Let us also commit ourselves to work hand in hand with the Federal Government to tackle the economic, social, and political challenges, including judicial terrorism, nepotism, corruption, and abuse of power, that have diminished our democracy, stifled our economic growth, and caused untold hardship to our people.
14. With an unyielding commitment to democracy, the rule of law, and good governance, and working together for the common interest, we can overcome all our challenges and prevail over the enemies of progress.
15. It is only through our collective efforts that Nigeria can become the greatest black nation and global leader in human civilization that we all want her to be.
16. I commend our President, His Excellency Tinubu GCFR for his bold, dynamic and pragmatic economic reforms, which are targeted at correcting the structural deformities of the past and ushering in a new vista of sustainable economic growth and prosperity to our country.
17. I urge fellow Governors to redouble their efforts to fight the scourge of insecurity and banditry in the north, and pipeline vandalism and oil theft in the Niger Delta region, of the country, for the ongoing economic reforms to bear the needed positive results.
18. On our part, we assure the Federal Government and Mr President of unalloyed loyalty and support from the Government and good people of Rivers State and reaffirm our commitment to the unity and progress of Nigeria as one individual nation.
19. We will continue to support and work with the Federal Government and the security agencies to advance the security and well-being of all citizens, protect national economic assets and guarantee the security and smooth operations of local, national, and multinational companies and investments in our state.
20. We further pledge to ensure the safety and security of lives and property and guarantee equal social and economic opportunities for all residents of Rivers State.
21. Our faith and strength are in God who will enable us to continue to promote, protect, and defend the political, social and economic interests of our dear state at all costs.
22. I further assure you that we will never compromise on our commitments to delivering the dividends of democracy and good governance to the citizens of Rivers State.
23. We will complete the Port Harcourt Ring road, the Ikwerre-Emohua-Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni link dual carriageway, and all other ongoing road projects on schedule. We will also deliver the 225-billion-naira Trans-Kalari road before the end of our first time.
24. We are giving considerable attention to education with the rehabilitation of schools, provision of educational materials, implementation of 65-year teachers’ retirement age, and approval for the recruitment of more teachers in line with the recommendations of the Needs Assessment Committee Report.
25. Work is progressing in the completion of the Zonal Hospitals at Ahoada, Bori, Degema, Omoku, and the General Hospital at Bonny. Work has also started on the new general hospital, Rumuigbo and the new ultra-modern Psychiatric Hospital, also at Rumuigbo.
26. Our efforts in healthcare manpower development have resulted in the full accreditation of the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital for six special programmes, including surgery, plastic reconstruction surgery, urology, radiodiagnosis, and orthopaedics from the West African College of Surgeons.
27. We have made considerable improvements in internal revenue generation and set up the Rivers State Investment Promotion Agency to drive the industrialization of the State to create jobs and generate more economic opportunities and revenues for citizens and the State.
28. Agriculture for food security, job creation, and empowerment and other areas of interest including transportation, youth skills tooling, the blue economy, and micro, small, and medium enterprises development, will receive serious and dedicated attention going forward.
29. I extend my thanks and appreciation to our brave Armed Forces for their services and sacrifice in defence of our freedom, unity and security of the nation.
30. I also thank and appreciate the Police, the Department of State Services, and other Security Agencies for their sacrifice and contributions to internal peace, security, and stability.
31. I also thank and appreciate the good people of Rivers State and Nigerians across the country for your support and standing with us on the side of courage, truth and justice from the inception of our government to date.
32. I assure you that we will never surrender to barefaced lies and blackmail from anyone, no matter how powerful he may be, but remain focused and re-dedicated to the interest of the nation, our dear Rivers State and the cause of our people.
33. Finally, I wish all Nigerians a very Happy 64th Independence Day, and may God bless our nation, Nigeria.
