An Address by His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan, on the Occasion of the Independence Day Anniversary on Monday,
1stoctober, 2012
1. Beloved
countrymen and women, on this day, fifty-two years ago, our founding fathers
brought joy and hope to the hearts of our people when they won independence for
our great country. Nigeria made a clean break with more than six decades of
colonial rule, and emerged as a truly independent nation. That turning point
was a new beginning for our nation.
2. Those who
witnessed the lowering of the Union Jack and the emergence of the Green White
Green flag continue to relish the memory, because that ceremony was not just
about the destiny of a nation, but the future of a people.
3. That
future is here; we are the inheritors of a great legacy that goes even much
farther into the past.
4. The worthy patriots who made this
possible were young men and women in their twenties and thirties. They worked
together to restore dignity and honour to the Nigerian people. Their resolve
united a multicultural and multilingual nation of diverse peoples, with more
than 250 distinct languages and ethnic groups.
5. In 1960,
our diversity became a source of strength, and the new leaders resolved to
carry the flag of independence for the benefit of future generations. They had
their differences, but they placed a greater premium on the need to come
together to build a new nation.
6. It is
that resolve, and that glorious moment that we celebrate today. We also
celebrate the patriotism of our heroes past: Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Abubakar
Tafawa Balewa, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Michael Okpara,
Chief Anthony Enahoro, Herbert Macaulay, and several others who made the case
for our independence.
7. We
remember as always, their contributions to the making of the Nigerian nation,
and the efforts of their successors since 1960. We also celebrate the unfailing
optimism and resilience of Nigerians who remain proud of our national identity.
8. On this
special day, I call on every Nigerian to remain steadfast, because our nation
is indeed making progress. I call on every Nigerian to rediscover that special
spirit that enables us to triumph over every adversity as a people:
9. We
weathered the storm of the civil war, we have refused to be broken by sectarian
crises; we have remained a strong nation.
I bring to you today, a message of renewed hope and faith in the immense
possibilities that lie ahead.
10. Fellow
citizens, I have an unshaken belief in the future of our great Country. I
consider it a priority and sacred duty to continue to strengthen the bond of
unity that holds our nation together and to promote and nourish the creative
energies of our people. This is a central objective of our administration’s
Transformation Agenda. Nigeria, I assure
you, will continue to grow from strength to strength.
11. Since I
assumed office as President of our dear country on the 6th of May 2010, I have
continued to work with our countrymen and women to enhance our nation’s growth
and development.
12. Our vision is
encapsulated in the Transformation Agenda. We are working hard and making
progress on many fronts. We have cleaned up our electoral process; our
elections are now globally acclaimed to be free and fair. Nigeria is now on a
higher pedestal regarding elections.
13. Over the past
five years, the global economy has been going through a weak and uncertain
recovery. During the same period and particularly in the last two years, the
Nigerian economy has done appreciably well despite the global financial crisis.
Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has grown by 7.1 per cent on
average.
14. It is also
significant that the GDP growth has been driven largely by the non-oil sector.
In pursuance of the main goals of the Transformation Agenda, a number of
reforms and initiatives are being pursued in key sectors of the economy with a
view to consolidating the gains of the economic growth.
15. Our country’s
power supply situation is improving gradually. We are successfully implementing
a well-integrated power sector reform programme which includes institutional
arrangements to facilitate and strengthen private-sector-led power generation,
transmission and distribution.
16. We have also
put in place a cost-reflective tariff structure that reduces the cost of power
for a majority of electricity consumers. I am pleased with the feedback from
across the country, of improvements in power supply.
17. We are
continuing to improve and stabilize on our crude production volumes; our
12-month gas supply emergency plan, put in place earlier this year, has
produced more than the targeted volumes of gas for power generation. A robust
Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) has been placed before the National Assembly. Its
passage into law will ensure far-reaching reforms, transparency,
accountability, increased government revenue and predictability for investors
in the Oil and Gas sector.
18. Several
government programmes and projects are creating wealth and millions of job
opportunities for our youth and general population. Such programmes include:
You-Win, both for the youth and for the women, Public Works, the Local Content
Initiative in the Oil and Gas Sector, and the Agricultural Transformation
programme.
19. We have
improved on our investment environment; more corporate bodies are investing in
the Nigerian economy. Our Investment Climate Reform Programme has helped to
attract over N6.8 trillion local and foreign direct investment commitments.
20. Nigeria has
become the preferred destination for investment in Africa. It is ranked first
in the top 5 host economies for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Africa,
accounting for over 20 per cent of total FDI flows into the continent. We have
streamlined bureaucratic activities at the ports to ensure greater efficiency
in the handling of ports and port-related businesses. Specifically, we have drastically reduced the
goods clearing period in our ports from about six weeks to about one week and
under. We have an ultimate target of 48 hours.
21. We have put
in place, a new visa policy that makes it easier for legitimate investors to
receive long stay visas. We have achieved a 24-hour timeline for registration
of new businesses, leading to the registration of close to 7, 000 companies
within the second quarter of 2012.
22. The
Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has disclosed that, as at July 2012,
249 new members across the country had joined the Association, and that
capacity utilization has also improved. The multiplier effect of this
development on our job creation programme cannot be over-emphasized.
23. In the last
two years, we have put in place structures for an upgrade of the country’s
health sector, to promote in every respect, the individual citizen’s right to
quality, affordable and accessible healthcare.
24. In this
regard, we are devoting resources under the Subsidy Reinvestment Program (SURE-P)
to reducing malaria incidents, dramatically reducing maternal and child
mortality, and eradicating polio.
25. Fellow
Nigerians, in recent times, we have witnessed serious security challenges in
parts of our country. We have taken pro-active measures to check the menace.
This has included constant consultation and collaboration with our neighbours
and other friendly nations on issues relating to internal and cross border
security, and the sharing of information on smuggling and illegal dealing in
small arms and light weapons.
26. Our security
agencies are constantly being strengthened and repositioned for greater
efficiency. Many Nigerians have acknowledged that there has been a significant
decline in the spate of security breaches.
27. While expressing our condolences to the
affected families, let me reiterate the commitment of this Administration to
ensure the safety of lives and property of all Nigerians.
28. Even as we
remain focused on the issue of security, the fight against the scourge of
corruption is a top priority of our Administration. We are fighting corruption in all facets of
our economy, and we are succeeding. We have put an end to several decades of
endemic corruption associated with fertilizer and tractor procurement and
distribution. We have exposed decades of
scam in the management of pensions and fuel subsidy, and ensured that the
culprits are being brought to book.
29. In its latest
report, Transparency International (TI) noted that Nigeria is the second most
improved country in the effort to curb corruption.
30. We will
sustain the effort in this direction with an even stronger determination to
strengthen the institutions that are statutorily entrusted with the task of
ending this scourge.
31. I have given my commitment of
non-interference in the work of the relevant agencies and I am keeping my word.
What we require is the full cooperation of all tiers of government, and the
public, especially civil society and the media.
32. This Administration
has also introduced for the first time in Nigeria’s history, a Performance
Contract System for all Ministers, and other officials of government. This is
to further place emphasis on performance, efficiency, and service delivery.
33. Fellow
Nigerians, our determined efforts on several fronts not-withstanding, our
country still faces a number of challenges.
34. Those
challenges should not deter us. In the last few weeks, for example, many of our
communities have been ravaged by floods, resulting in the loss of lives and
property, and the displacement of persons.
35. I want to
reassure all affected Nigerians that I share in their grief, and our
Administration is taking steps to address these incidents, in collaboration
with the States and Local Governments.
36. I have
received the interim Report of the Presidential team that I set up to assess
the flooding situation across the country.
37. The Federal
Government has taken measures to assist the affected States, while considering
long term measures to check future reoccurrence.
38. We must
continue to work together, confidently and faithfully, to ensure that our
country’s potentials are realised to the fullest; that our dreams are
translated into reality; and that our goals are achieved.
39. Let me
reiterate that our administration is committed to the pursuit of fundamental
objectives of an open society: the pursuit of freedom, security and prosperity
for the Nigerian people, and the rule of law.
40. In the next
few days, I shall lay before the National Assembly the 2013 Federal Budget
Proposal so that deliberations can commence in earnest on the key policies,
programmes and projects that will mark a decisive year for our development and
transformation.
41. I have no
doubt that by the time I address you on our next independence anniversary, many
of our reform efforts would have yielded even better results.
42. Over the
years, several leaders have built on the foundation laid by our Founding Fathers.
The baton is now in our hands. Let me assure all Nigerians that we shall not
fail.
43. I am
confident that Nigeria will continue to be a source of pride to its citizens;
to Africa and the Black Race and to humanity; a land that is known for progress,
freedom, peace and the promotion of human dignity.
44. May God bless
the Federal Republic of Nigeria. May God bless you all.
Culled from Vanguard.
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