AN ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN, GCFR, ON
THE OCCASION OF THE INDEPENDENCE DAY ANNIVERSARY ON MONDAY, 1ST OCTOBER, 2012
“Beloved countrymen and women, on this day, fifty-two years
ago, our founding fathers brought joy and hope to the hearts of our people when
they won independence for our great country. Nigeria made a clean break with
more than six decades of colonial rule, and emerged as a truly independent
nation. That turning point was a new beginning for our nation.
Those who witnessed
the lowering of the Union Jack and the emergence of the Green White Green flag
continue to relish the memory, because that ceremony was not just about the
destiny of a nation, but the future of a people.
That future is here;
we are the inheritors of a great legacy that goes even much farther into the
past. The worthy patriots
who made this possible were young men and women in their twenties and thirties.
They worked together to restore dignity and honour to the Nigerian people.
Their resolve united a multicultural and multilingual nation of diverse
peoples, with more than 250 distinct languages and ethnic groups.
In 1960, our
diversity became a source of strength, and the new leaders resolved to carry
the flag of independence for the benefit of future generations. They had their
differences, but they placed a greater premium on the need to come together to
build a new nation.
It is that resolve,
and that glorious moment that we celebrate today. We also celebrate the
patriotism of our heroes past: Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Sir
Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Michael Okpara, Chief Anthony Enahoro,
Herbert Macaulay, and several others who made the case for our independence.
We remember as
always, their contributions to the making of the Nigerian nation, and the efforts
of their successors since 1960. We also celebrate the unfailing optimism and
resilience of Nigerians who remain proud of our national identity.
On this special day,
I call on every Nigerian to remain steadfast, because our nation is indeed
making progress. I call on every Nigerian to rediscover that special spirit
that enables us to triumph over every adversity as a people:
We weathered the
storm of the civil war, we have refused to be broken by sectarian crises; we
have remained a strong nation. I bring to you today, a message of renewed hope
and faith in the immense possibilities that lie ahead.
Fellow citizens, I
have an unshaken belief in the future of our great Country. I consider it a
priority and sacred duty to continue to strengthen the bond of unity that holds
our nation together and to promote and nourish the creative energies of our
people. This is a central objective of our administration’s Transformation
Agenda. Nigeria, I assure you, will continue to grow from strength to strength. Since I assumed
office as President of our dear country on the 6th of May 2010, I have
continued to work with our countrymen and women to enhance our nation’s growth
and development.
Our vision is
encapsulated in the Transformation Agenda. We are working hard and making
progress on many fronts. We have cleaned up our electoral process; our
elections are now globally acclaimed to be free and fair. Nigeria is now on a
higher pedestal regarding elections.
Over the past five
years, the global economy has been going through a weak and uncertain recovery.
During the same period and particularly in the last two years, the Nigerian
economy has done appreciably well despite the global financial crisis.
Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has grown by 7.1 per cent on
average.
It is also
significant that the GDP growth has been driven largely by the non-oil sector.
In pursuance of the main goals of the Transformation Agenda, a number of
reforms and initiatives are being pursued in key sectors of the economy with a view
to consolidating the gains of the economic growth.
Our country’s power
supply situation is improving gradually. We are successfully implementing a
well-integrated power sector reform programme which includes institutional
arrangements to facilitate and strengthen private-sector-led power generation,
transmission and distribution.
We have also put in
place a cost-reflective tariff structure that reduces the cost of power for a
majority of electricity consumers. I am pleased with the feedback from across
the country, of improvements in power supply.
We are continuing to
improve and stabilize on our crude production volumes; our 12-month gas supply
emergency plan, put in place earlier this year, has produced more than the
targeted volumes of gas for power generation. A robust Petroleum Industry Bill
(PIB) has been placed before the National Assembly. Its passage into law will
ensure far-reaching reforms, transparency, accountability, increased government
revenue and predictability for investors in the Oil and Gas sector.
Several government
programmes and projects are creating wealth and millions of job opportunities
for our youth and general population. Such programmes include: You-Win, both
for the youth and for the women, Public Works, the Local Content Initiative in
the Oil and Gas Sector, and the Agricultural Transformation programme.
We have improved on
our investment environment; more corporate bodies are investing in the Nigerian
economy. Our Investment Climate Reform Programme has helped to attract over
N6.8 trillion local and foreign direct investment commitments.
Nigeria has become
the preferred destination for investment in Africa. It is ranked first in the
top 5 host economies for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Africa, accounting
for over 20 per cent of total FDI flows into the continent. We have streamlined
bureaucratic activities at the ports to ensure greater efficiency in the
handling of ports and port-related businesses. Specifically, we have
drastically reduced the goods clearing period in our ports from about six weeks
to about one week and under. We have an ultimate target of 48 hours.
We have put in place,
a new visa policy that makes it easier for legitimate investors to receive long
stay visas. We have achieved a 24-hour timeline for registration of new
businesses, leading to the registration of close to 7, 000 companies within the
second quarter of 2012.
The Manufacturers
Association of Nigeria (MAN) has disclosed that, as at July 2012, 249 new
members across the country had joined the Association, and that capacity
utilization has also improved. The multiplier effect of this development on our
job creation programme cannot be over-emphasized.
In the last two
years, we have put in place structures for an upgrade of the country’s health
sector, to promote in every respect, the individual citizen’s right to quality,
affordable and accessible healthcare. In this regard, we
are devoting resources under the Subsidy Reinvestment Program (SURE-P) to
reducing malaria incidents, dramatically reducing maternal and child mortality,
and eradicating polio.
Fellow Nigerians, in
recent times, we have witnessed serious security challenges in parts of our
country. We have taken pro-active measures to check the menace. This has
included constant consultation and collaboration with our neighbours and other
friendly nations on issues relating to internal and cross border security, and
the sharing of information on smuggling and illegal dealing in small arms and
light weapons.
Our security agencies
are constantly being strengthened and repositioned for greater efficiency. Many
Nigerians have acknowledged that there has been a significant decline in the
spate of security breaches.
While expressing our
condolences to the affected families, let me reiterate the commitment of this
Administration to ensure the safety of lives and property of all Nigerians.
Even as we remain
focused on the issue of security, the fight against the scourge of corruption
is a top priority of our Administration. We are fighting corruption in all
facets of our economy, and we are succeeding. We have put an end to several
decades of endemic corruption associated with fertilizer and tractor procurement
and distribution. We have exposed decades of scam in the management of pensions
and fuel subsidy, and ensured that the culprits are being brought to book.
In its latest report,
Transparency International (TI) noted that Nigeria is the second most improved
country in the effort to curb corruption.We will sustain the
effort in this direction with an even stronger determination to strengthen the
institutions that are statutorily entrusted with the task of ending this
scourge.
I have given my commitment
of non-interference in the work of the relevant agencies and I am keeping my
word. What we require is the full cooperation of all tiers of government, and
the public, especially civil society and the media.
This Administration
has also introduced for the first time in Nigeria’s history, a Performance
Contract System for all Ministers, and other officials of government. This is
to further place emphasis on performance, efficiency, and service delivery.
Fellow Nigerians, our
determined efforts on several fronts not-withstanding, our country still faces
a number of challenges. Those challenges
should not deter us. In the last few weeks, for example, many of our
communities have been ravaged by floods, resulting in the loss of lives and
property, and the displacement of persons.
I want to reassure
all affected Nigerians that I share in their grief, and our Administration is
taking steps to address these incidents, in collaboration with the States and
Local Governments. I have received the
interim Report of the Presidential team that I set up to assess the flooding
situation across the country.
The Federal
Government has taken measures to assist the affected States, while considering
long term measures to check future reoccurrence.
We must continue to work
together, confidently and faithfully, to ensure that our country’s potentials
are realised to the fullest; that our dreams are translated into reality; and
that our goals are achieved. Let me reiterate that
our administration is committed to the pursuit of fundamental objectives of an
open society: the pursuit of freedom, security and prosperity for the Nigerian
people, and the rule of law.
In the next few days,
I shall lay before the National Assembly the 2013 Federal Budget Proposal so
that deliberations can commence in earnest on the key policies, programmes and
projects that will mark a decisive year for our development and transformation.
I have no doubt that
by the time I address you on our next independence anniversary, many of our
reform efforts would have yielded even better results.
Over the years,
several leaders have built on the foundation laid by our Founding Fathers. The
baton is now in our hands. Let me assure all Nigerians that we shall not fail.
I am confident that
Nigeria will continue to be a source of pride to its citizens; to Africa and
the Black Race and to humanity; a land that is known for progress, freedom,
peace and the promotion of human dignity.
May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. May God bless
you all.”
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