Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo state and Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Dr Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji have said Nigeria still has hope in spite of the basket-full of challenges facing the nation at 62.
Uzodimma and Ugorji spoke, Sunday, at the Maria Assumpta Catholic Cathedral Owerri, during a church service to mark the 62nd Independence Anniversary of Nigeria.
They agreed that Nigeria is endowed by God with huge human and material resources and that with the right leadership and attitude, the country could still attain greatness.
In his remarks at the end of the service, Governor Uzodimma tasked Nigerians to stand up to tackle the challenges retarding the progress of the nation.
He advised Nigerians to learn to differentiate between the meaning of collective interest as against individual or personal interest, noting that “what defines a nation is collective interest.”
Governor Uzodimma explained that all nations have their perculiar challenges “but we must take time to study how countries overcame such challenges and deplore proactive approaches in confronting the challenges of our time.”
The governor acknowledged that at 62, Nigeria has come of age and continued to struggle for survival – failures and successes – but said “despite all the challenges that confronted the country, Nigeria and Nigerians still have life and faith in God to continue to drive the Nation.”
In his homily, Archbishop Ugorji thanked God for the numerous blessings He endowed Nigeria with as a nation “as well as so many talents and human endowments given to her leaders,” indicating that there is still hope for the country.
Ugorji recalled the expectations of Nigerians 62 years ago and said they desired a nation devoid of rancour, ritual killings, insecurity, poverty, and all forms of immoralities. Also, he said that Nigerians deserved a nation where everybody would be respected, given equal opportunity, justice and fair play and experience a life of freedom.
