President Bola Tinubu was the Special Guest of Honour at the change of guards of the Presidential Villa on Sunday in Abuja.
The event was part of the 63rd Independence Anniversary with the theme “Nigeria @63, Renewed Hope for Unity and Prosperity”.
Tinubu led other members of the administration to review the various activities of the event.
The activities included the Submission of Parade, the Independence Anniversary Parade, and the Guards Brigade Silent Drill.
The event was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas.
Other personalities at the event included the Chief Justice of the Federation, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ministers, Head of the Civil Service, and Permanent Secretaries, as well as members of the Diplomatic Corps.
Chronicle NG also reports that other activities at the event included the signing of the anniversary register, the cutting of the anniversary cake, and the release of anniversary pigeons.
The president had earlier addressed the nation and spelled out the various reforms put in place by the new administration to turn around the economic and social fortunes of Nigerians.
Tinubu had stressed worker welfare, the deployment of CNG cars to ease the cost of transportation, and fiscal policies to attract businesses and employment for the teeming youths.
He said, “Nigeria is remarkable in its formation and essential character. We are a broad and dynamic blend of ethnic groups, religions, traditions, and cultures.
“Yet, our bonds are intangible yet strong, invisible yet universal. The shared desires of prosperity and harmony, as well as the unifying ideals of tolerance and justice, bind us together.
“Forging a nation based on the fair application of these noble principles to a diverse population has been a task of significant blessing but also a serial challenge.
“Some people have said an independent Nigeria should never have come into existence. Some have said that our country would be torn apart. They are forever mistaken. Here, our nation stands, and here we shall remain.”
The president called on all Nigerians to rally around the administration to achieve the various initiatives for a better Nigeria.
Tinubu said, “I am attuned to the hardships that have come. I have a heart that feels and eyes that see. I wish to explain to you why we must endure this trying moment.
“Reform may be painful, but it is what greatness and the future require. We now carry the costs of reaching a future Nigeria where the abundance and fruits of the nation are fairly shared among all, not hoarded by a select and greedy few.
“There is no joy in seeing the people of this nation shoulder burdens that should have been shed years ago. I wish today’s difficulties did not exist. But we must endure if we are to reach the good side of our future.
“Fellow compatriots, the journey ahead will not be navigated by fear or hatred. We can only achieve a better Nigeria through courage, compassion, and commitment as one indivisible unit.” Tinubu said
