THE pan-Yoruba sociopolitical organisation, Afenifere and the South South apex socio-cultural group, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), on Friday, slammed President Muhammadu Buhari over his speech to mark Nigeria’s 61st Independence anniversary, describing it as reverberating bigotry and nepotism which they said are the greatest challenges of his administration.
While Afenifere said the anniversary broadcast by the president further showcased “the dishonesty” on the part of those governing the country and the disconnection between them and the people they govern, PANDEF said the speech was full of hallucinations and wishful thinking. Afenifere, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Jare Ajayi, said the picture painted by President Buhari of the Nigeria situation was at variance with what is on ground.
The statement reads in part: “In the 16th paragraph of his 2020 Independence anniversary speech, the president conceded that the country’s major institutions – and by implication, the services they were supposed to render to the nation – were on the decline. In his words, ‘institutions such as civil service, police, the judiciary, the military all suffered from a general decline’.
“There is no indication on ground that this assessment given last year by the president has changed for the better. The services being rendered to the people of Nigeria by these institutions continue to be on the decline in terms of value delivery. The reason for this being lack of requisite resources and motivation.
“It is therefore unfair on the part of the president to accuse ‘critics’ of misdiagnosing ‘incremental progress as stagnation’ as he did in his 2021 independence anniversary speech.” Afenifere also picked holes in the president’s claim that “no government since 1999 has done what we have done in six years to put Nigeria back on track.”
According to the organisation, his administration was actually the one that has taken Nigeria off the track going by “the quantum of indebtedness the country now carries without much to show for the heavy debt, the level of disunity and mistrust among Nigerians, the hopelessness among the youths and the elderly and the collapse of the social services such as education, health and transport.”
It said that it was heartwarming that the president promised to “listen to all and protect democracy.”
It said: “One sure way to do this is do away with impunity, nepotism, be more sincere in its tackling of security challenges in the country and above all, allow restructuring to take place so that peoples of Nigeria can sit down and decide on the modality for their continued staying together in a United Nigeria that is truly federal.”
On its part, PANDEF said rather than reflecting the true mood of the nation, which are despondency, disillusionment, disaffection among others, the Independence Day speech was nothing but full of hallucinations and wishful thinking.
PANDEF’s National Publicity Secretary, Ken Robinson, in a statement, flayed the president’s speech writers for always misrepresenting the true state of the nation and standing truth on its head.
He said: “This year’s Independence Day speech by President Muhammadu Buhari can easily be deemed the worst independence day speech in Nigeria’s history.
“The speech was indifferent to the mood of the country; the growing disaffections, dissensions and disillusions, arising from the actions and inactions of the government.
“Rather, it’s full of hallucinations and wishful thinking, perhaps, based on what might be pleasing to the President, and not the citizens.
“There is something wrong with the president’s speechwriters and handlers. They offend citizens’ sensibilities in their ridiculous, tenuous justification of the colossal failure of the administration.
“They are either making excuses or playing the blame game; it’s always someone else’s fault.
“How can they say it is hoarding by “middlemen” that is responsible for the current food crisis in the country?
“Unsurprisingly, no mention was made of the killer herdsmen, bandits and insurgents who are destroying farms and hunting farmers away from their farmlands, across the country. Of course, they are untouchables.”
The group frowned at the assertion by Buhari that his government was taking the fight against insecurity to the enemy and winning, describing it as also odd.
Also, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State said there was nothing to celebrate. Ortom said the country was gripped with insecurity and poor economy and as such had nothing to celebrate.
He said he and the people of his state decided to celebrate God for giving life with the hope that tomorrow would be better for Nigeria.
Ortom made the remarks in an interview with newsmen after an interdenominational service held at the Chapel of Grace, Government House, Makurdi, to mark the 61st Independence anniversary.
He insisted that leaders in the country had failed in all spheres of life but added that celebrating God for giving life was the ultimate.
The governor said: “We have nothing to celebrate now. Are we celebrating banditry and unknown gunmen?
“Is it the poor economy where a dollar is being exchanged for close to N600 that we are celebrating? We have nothing to celebrate as a people.
“Like I have been saying, we leaders have failed the country. Sycophants, mediocre and corruption have taken over, nothing is happening.
“That is why, in Benue, we have chosen to celebrate God for keeping us alive, hoping that tomorrow, we will have a better Nigeria.”
However, his Oyo State counterpart, Mr Seyi Makinde, called on Nigerians to remain loyal and be proud of the nation despite the current challenges it is facing.
Governor Makinde, who made the call during the Independence celebration, held at the remodeled Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan, said everyone should be proud of being Nigerian.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Taiwo Adisa, indicated that Governor Makinde was represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mrs Olubamiwo Adeosun.
The governor charged the people of the State and Nigerians at large to put the love of the nation in their hearts at all times. He maintained that the improved security situation in Oyo State was made possible through the intervention of relevant security stakeholders.
He said: “We have all seen a very beautiful parade and have made history today. Today is the 61st independence anniversary of Nigeria and we are celebrating it in a beautiful brand new stadium. I am sure that it was a beautiful experience for the children and for all those who paraded.
“If you compare this stadium today to the way we have used it in the last twenty or thirty years, I am sure you can see that the difference is very clear.
“As we celebrate Nigeria today, I’ll like everyone of us to tap our chest with joy and be proud to be Nigerians because there is a lot to be proud about being Nigerians.”
Meanwhile, the 61st Independence anniversary parade at the popular Eagle Square, Abuja, was observed under heavy security on Friday.
As early as 5.30 a.m., all roads leading to the Eagle located at the Federal Secretariat, especially from Mararaba/ Nyanya axis, were blocked by a combined security team of soldiers, police personnel and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Motorists were stuck in traffic jams for several hours as there were no vehicular movements while the parade lasted. Food vendors and sellers of memorabilia were also not seen at the precinct of the Eagle Square as they could not gain entry through the soldiers that were armed to the teeth.
However, the colourful parade by the armed forces and some paramilitary agencies, on Friday, including members of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), was spiced by cultural dances depicting diversity of Nigeria, as well as acrobatic displays that held the audience spellbound.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who was the special guest of honour, inspected the guard of honour at the ceremony attended by former presidents, including General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), Dr Goodluck Jonathan and top government functionaries and members of diplomatic corps.
There was also 21 gun salute by firing of artillery volleys as well as signing of anniversary register by President Buhari. The Secretary to the Government of Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, told newsmen at the event that challenges were part of nationhood, saying there is no country that does not have challenges, as even advanced democracies that have existed in the last 300 years are being confronted with challenges.
“Ours is not different and we have responsibility as a country and as a government to provide for the security and welfare of the citizens. So, we are doing everything just as the President took a lot of time in his broadcast to the nation to explain what the goverment is doing and what is in place to ensure that we get out of these challenges,” he said.
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