The Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2023 polls, Dumebi Kachikwu has said that Nigeria’s leadership must move away from the destructive pathway of “my turn/our turn” to the progressive highway of Nigeria first.
Kachikwu in a goodwill message to Nigerians on the occasion of Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Anniversary reiterated that ‘Nigeria first’ was the foundation upon which forefathers built their dream of a nation of limitless possibilities.
He said: “They envisaged a country that would be a beacon of hope for the negro all over the world. A home to all men and women of goodwill.”
He, however, said the Nigeria we see today is not the Nigeria of their dreams neither is it the Nigeria of our dreams.
According to him, “A pariah nation whose citizens are banned abroad and hounded at home. Citizens whose only crime is the yoke of a failed and purposeless leadership cocooned in a nation of impossibilities.
“My dear Nigerians, we have heard it all and we have heard nothing. We have seen it all and we have seen nothing. The question therefore remains: is there yet hope for a better tomorrow? Can we dare to dream again? Is there yet a spark in our members that may yet spark a fire of rebirth?
“Citizens of Nigerian, can we dare to dream again? Can we thread the ancient paths of greatness our forefathers walked? Can we who are called eagles fly once again? These are the salient questions we must answer as we begin to understand that potential has no age.
“Our potential is limitless and when aggregated together can redefine our nation. The combined potential of over two hundred million Nigerians can change the world.
“As we have conquered in music, arts and sports, so must we conquer in engineering and applied sciences, agriculture, robotics and all spheres of human endeavor.
“This is the era of exodus or japa, but the exodus must be only in the direction of the promised land, our God-given nation called Nigeria.
“We need to rise and rebuild. We need to build stronger and deeper foundations to sustain the peace and harmony of multiple tribes who have called this geographical space home. Elections are over but our lives are not over. Let us retool and repurpose. Let us come together and redesign the pathway to our future.
“A future steeped in excellence and meritocracy. A future of good governance and rule of law. A future of shared dreams hopes and aspirations. A future of a Nigeria that works for everyone irrespective of tribe, tongue, religion or political party affiliation.
“If our fathers failed in this, we mustn’t also fail. With a renewed sense of hope and optimism, we must all strive towards individual rebirth that leads to national rebirth.
“We will yet fly again. We will yet take our place of pride in the Committee of Nations. We will yet feed our poor and needy. We will grow our economy and build world-class infrastructure.
“We will revise our education curriculum and prepare our children for a future of excellence and leadership. We will secure our borders and maintain the peace. We will provide good-paying jobs for all those who are willing and able to work.
“We will build a country whose people are known as ONE NIGERIA. Our government might have failed us but we the Nigerian people can and will do all these if we can dare to dream again. God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then