The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, in tribute in a statement he personally signed, said: “I join other eminent Nigerians to celebrate the Nigerian Tribune newspaper on the occasion of its 75 years anniversary.
“It is indeed a remarkable achievement to attain that milestone in any given temporal circumstance and even more particularly noteworthy today, with all the peculiarities that have reshaped the economic history of our dear country since the golden era pioneered by our inimitable founding fathers: the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello; Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.
“These great minds, the founding fathers of our dear country and their disciples, bequeathed to us sterling legacies that transcended mere independence from the colonial masters. But their greatest legacy is in their visions for Nigeria, of a dynamically prosperous nation of people.
“Indeed, these men did not leave their visions in the realm of illusions; they formulated and built enduring institutions that have stood the test of time. They also lived the very values they preached.
“The Nigerian Tribune is one of the products of the visions of the founding fathers. The fact that it has stood strong for seventy-five years is an attestation to the fecundity of their minds, the richness of their visions and desire to create the best bequests for Nigeria’s greatness and future generations.
“To attain the age of seventy-five years, indeed, is worth celebrating. Even as humans, age seventy-five is no longer certain and assured in a world plagued by innumerable socio-political challenges, economic suffocation, war and famine. Given the intemperate nature of the Nigerian economic climate today, managing any business interest has become even more challenging.
“This is even the reason why the Tribune story is worth telling and maybe, perhaps, others may gain some insight into the enduring strategies that the founders, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his jewel of inestimable value, Chief Mrs HID Awolowo, implanted in its foundation.
“Perhaps one of the reasons the Nigerian Tribune has remained an enduring institution long after the transition of its envisioners is the underlining principle of its foundation, which is to be the voice for the voiceless, protect and champion the cause of the masses and stand on the side of truth against all forms of oppression.
“The Nigerian Tribune has unwaveringly continued to perform these roles. It has promoted the causes of the oppressed without any recourse to regional, ethnic and tribal dispositions. Its editorial comments have chastised leaders in government who abused their power and acclaimed those that served their people well.
“All these are not without their consequences though. The newspaper had suffered shutdown by governments intolerant of criticism and loss of patronage from those who felt the sting of its scathing editorials.
“But one critical aspect of the Nigerian Tribune story that should delight us as Nigerians is that a Nigerian enterprise can indeed endure and survive. As the oldest surviving privately and indigenously owned newspaper, the Nigerian Tribune embodies the true Nigerian spirit of resilience and offers a glimmer of hope that our dear country is not a cemetery of beautiful dreams, after all. The newspaper has shown us that given unflinching determination, indigenous enterprise can survive and thrive in our dear country.
“In the same vein, with the same kind of determination, dogged perseverance, unremitting focus on the nation and of course faith in God, we can surmount the many challenges of nation-building and leverage our many potentials, not the least of which is our enormous human capital, come out strong to lead Africa out of its conundrum, in the 21st century.
“Like the story of Tribune, the critical factor is always leadership. We must therefore focus on leadership in our discourses as we engage in the unrelenting efforts to salvage our country. Congratulations and happy 75th anniversary. We pray for many more decades of service to humanity.”
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