Pascal Arogorn Ibe
Nigerian government has declared Thursday, October 1, as public holiday to mark the nation’s 60th Independence anniversary celebration.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made the declaration on behalf of the Federal Government.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Georgina Ehuriah, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
Mr Aregbesola congratulated all Nigerians on the celebration of the country’s Diamond Jubilee and assured them of government’s unwavering commitment to the socio-economic transformation of the country.
“He said that our warmth, welcoming spirit and love as well as the abundant wealth inherent in our human capital and the richness of our land, makes Nigeria unarguably the leading black nation in the world and Africa’s pride and beacon of hope, if we can rally ourselves together to harness our potentials.”
“A country of about 200 million people whose natural talent, grit and passion glitter like the precious DIAMOND that we are. Nigerians are sparkling like diamonds in the pack, whether in Academia, Business, Innovation, Music, Movie, Entertainment, Fashion and culture. We are indeed the leading black nation in the entire world and no doubt Africa’s pride and beacon of hope, ” Mr Aregbesola said.
He said celebrating sixty years of independence really calls for pomp and pageantry, but with the globalCOVID-19 pandemic, which has forced all nations in the world to think and act cautiously, saying “we cannot avoid the imperative of a low-keyed celebration at this time,”.
While wishing Nigerians a fruitful independence celebration, the minister reminded them of the fact that the country’s founding fathers, in spite of the differences in faith, tribe and tongue, came together for Nigeria’s independence.
He, therefore, called on all Nigerians to join hands together with the present administration in its quest to ensure a better Nigeria for all citizens, both at home and abroad as this, shall be a befitting tribute to the struggles of our heroes past.
“We must together make Nigeria great,” Mr Aregbesola said.
Nigeria got its independence from Britain on October 1st, 1960, while it became a republic in 1963.
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