Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, says he has unwavering faith and confidence in Nigeria’s ability to attain unto greater heights.
Also, his Oyo State counterpart, Gov. Seyi Makinde, urged all residents of the state to cooperate with the three tiers of government and security agencies in addressing the nation’s security challenges.
Makinde and Abiodun made the plea on Friday at the 61st Independence Day celebration at Adamasingba Sports Complex, Ibadan and Abeokuta, at the M.K.O International Stadium in Abeokuta, respectively
Abiodun professed his unwavering faith and confidence in the country’s ability to attain unto greater heights.
The governor insisted that in spite of daunting challenges facing Nigeria, he would continue to have faith, confidence and hope in the country.
He stressed the need for Nigerians to continue to demonstrate courage and unwavering commitment to all that would foster unity and progress in the country.
The governor also called for a united front against the ills that had shackled and held the country back in the past years.
“We need to establish shared values and reinforce norms, virtues, and ethics that are enduring, distinguishing, and elevating.
“For as long as we continue to work at it, we will achieve the Nigeria of our collective dream.
“I have faith, hope and I am confident that we can achieve it because we have demonstrated at several times that we can come together and resolve our issues.
“It was in coming together that made our founding fathers secured the independence for our great country,” he said.
Abiodun, who acknowledged some challenges facing the country, noted that the occasion presented an opportunity to reflect and find common grounds to make progress.
“We should jointly address our challenges, including our national fault-lines, and create a favorable atmosphere and more practical approaches for our collective dreams of a greater Nigeria to materialize.
“We can not allow our challenges to retard us. Certainly, our potential as a country are far greater than our challenges.
“We also have to appreciate that in spite of our challenges, we have not remained the same since 1960. We are yet to become a global superpower, but again, we are not a basket case,” he said.
Abiodun said that government must provide the requisite policy framework and charter of engagement for people to harness their potential.
He added that citizens must also be patriotic and proactive in all of their engagements, adding, “politicians must prioritise service to people and distinguish between politicking and governance.”
The governor said that Ogun had contributed so much in human and natural resources to the development of Nigeria, saying, “the state remained number one in terms of human capital”.
He said that with all the sacrifices made by the notable indigenes of the state toward national development, “we are more than ever convinced that a united Nigeria is a better place for all of us than a divided nation”.
“We have all the resources to overcome all the challenges threatening our national unity and progress.
“Together, we are winning the war against COVID-19. Our economy has survived the post-COVID depression and we have continued on the path of growth again.
“What we need is the collective will and channeling of our energies toward greater productivity and positivity.
“I call on all of us to imbibe and churn out the positive narrative to empower ourselves and even to do more,” he said.
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In his remarks, Makinde, represented at the occasion by Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun, appreciated the efforts of the security agencies in tackling the nation’s security issues.
He charged all and sundry to “let’s work together continuously to make our security situation always under control. “If you see or hear something please do something about it,” the governor pleaded.
He pledged his unflinching support to both the conventional and unconventional security agencies operating in the state, in a bid to achieving a more secured Oyo state.
The highlights of the occasion were match-past by the officers of the Nigerian Police, Oyo State Command, other paramilitary officers, and students of public and private schools operating in the state.
Top government functionaries, traditional rulers, including Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi and religious leaders were among the dignitaries that witnessed the occasion.
