Deltans, on Tuesday, defied the early morning scorching sun and subsequent afternoon heavy rain to celebrate Nigeria’s 59th independence anniversary.
Scores of folks cutting across all walks of life, but with particular reference to Christian denominations, flooded the streets with decorated trucks mounted with giant speakers from which music played for entertainment.
Members of Christ Embassy, Catholics and other denominations clad in green-white-green attires in separate groups, marched through the Warri-Sapele road and other major streets in Warri singing and dancing.
They defied the scorching sun that earlier characterised the day as well as the heavy downpour that began at about 1:30 p.m in the afternoon.
The downpour flooded several streets and roads in Warri and Effurun, disrupting commercial activities and causing great gridlocks at Estate, Enerhen, Igbudu Market, PTI Road and other parts of the twin metropolis.
Meanwhile, the immediate past governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, has said that the country was on the right path to self-discovery and socio-economic greatness.
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Uduaghan, who urged Nigerians to focus and work towards the country’s unity and progress, gave the admonition in his Independence Day Message to felicitate with Nigerians.
The Delta South Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 general elections, said that in spite of the challenges facing the country, there was still a lot to celebrate.
He assured that Nigeria would continue to remain one indivisible country where the aspirations of the citizens would be met.
“Every nation has their manifest challenges. Every great nation we admire has undergone political and socioeconomic pruning to arrive at an enviable position.
“Nigeria, 59 years on, has been through a lot -beginning as a thriving economy between 1960-66, interrupted by a devastating civil war within the same decade of attaining full independence, then thirty years of military rule.
“This is the first time we are experiencing twenty years of democracy -the longest civilian rule in our 59-year history. All our challenges notwithstanding, Nigeria is still one big indivisible entity,” he enthused.
He urged Nigerians to use the celebration to strengthen the country’s unity, saying, “in the face of our challenges, there are still things to be thankful for as a nation.
“It is better to use this occasion to focus on the things that unite us while moving away from issues that drag us backwards in our quest to be a progressive nation.
“We are a nation blessed with diversity and young population. Harnessing them with a thriving private-sector will set us on a path of prosperity and provide the right environment for more investments.”
“The task of making Nigeria great is a collective responsibility by all Nigerians. Various arms of Government have their responsibilities, while as citizens, we have ours.
“With a more understanding National Assembly, whose members are ready to work in harmony with the Executive, and the newly formed Economic Advisory Council, full of economic experts, there is hope that we are on the right path to economic recovery as a nation.”
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