As Nigeria marks her 60 years of Independence anniversary Thursday , the Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies ( NILDS) , Professor Abubakar Sulaiman , declared that the future is bright for the country .
In a personally signed message , Professor Sulaiman said though the country has faced and still facing a lot of challenges within the last 60 years , but will emerge stronger in years to come .
” I have no doubt that Nigeria will come out stronger at the end of this difficult phase”, he said .
According to him , in achieving that , all hands must be on deck in sumount all the challenges.
“As we celebrate this day, let us remember that the future, progress and development of our Nation depend on how we build social cohesion and trust among ourselves.
” In so doing, we shall be building a Nation we can rely on and be proud of and thus, fulfill the dreams of our founding fathers” , he said.
The message reads :” While any Diamond Anniversary in a Nation,s history calls for celebration and a time for stock taking, Nigeria’s 60th Anniversary is coming at an unusual time, no thanks to the Covid 19 global pandemic which has necessarily called for a subdued celebration and more of sober reflection.
“This not notwithstanding,it is reassuring to note that the Federal Government has responded effectively in containing the magnitude of what would have been a disaster.
“While it is a fact that we are living in challenging times occassioned by the present security and socio-economic difficulties bedevilling the Nation , this should not make us also lose sight of the efforts of the Federal government in confronting these and breaking new grounds in infrastructural development in the Country despite the dwindling resources.
” For a discerning mind therefore , this is not the time to think of personal interests, recrimination or engage in blame game , rather this is the time for solidarity and cooperation because the future is bright for Nigeria” .
He commended men of the Armed for not allowing insurgents and other criminally minded groups ,over run the country .
“May I seize this opportunity to thank the men of the the Nigerian Armed Forces for their sacrifices in ensuring our internal security as well as our health workers who continue to put in their best in stemming the tide of the pandemic”, he said .
