President Muhammadu Buhari has called for collective reflection on the nation state Nigeria, urging citizens to come together to build the country.
In a nationwide broadcast at 7am on state-owned television and radio stations, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).
“I chose the path of self-reflection because this is what I do on a daily basis and I must confess that at most times, I always felt the need for a collective reflection as I know that the foundation for a solid future which this administration is laying,” he said in his broadcast as Nigeria celebrate its 60th Independence anniversary.
“We came out of the civil war with a focus on reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation that enabled the country to put in place world class development structures and a strengthened public service that well served the government.
“This positive trajectory continued with a return to democratic government which was truncated by another round of military rule.
“For a cumulative 29 of our 60 years existence as a nation, we have been under military rule.
“My summary of our journey so far as a nation is necessary to appropriately chart where we need to go and how to get there TOGETHER.
“Today, I am aware that our economy along with every single economy in the world is in crisis. We still face security challenges in parts of the country, while our society suffers from a high loss of moral rectitude which is driven by unbridled craving for political control.
“An underlying cause of most of the problems we have faced as a nation is our consistent harping on artificially contrived fault-lines that we have harboured and allowed unnecessarily to fester.
“In addition, institutions such as civil service, police, the judiciary, the military all suffered from a general decline.
“We need to begin a sincere process of national healing and this anniversary presents a genuine opportunity to eliminate old and outworn perceptions that are always put to test in the lie they always are.
“The stereotype of thinking of ourselves as coming from one part of the country before seeing ourselves as Nigerians is a key starting point to project us on the road to our deserved nation’s evolution and integration.
“To start this healing process, we are already blessed with the most important asset any nation requires for such – OUR PEOPLE – and this has manifested globally in the exploits of Nigerians in many fields.”
