President Muhammadu Buhari said, this morning, that Nigeria’s 61st Independence Anniversary should serve as a reminder of a day that unified the people from all ethnic groups, religions and regions and not just the day the British handed over the reins of power to Nigerians.
The president said this in his broadcast to the nation as part of activities marking the Independence Anniversary of the country.
He said all hands were on deck for the 1st of October 1960 to happen as East, West, North came together to celebrate freedom.
President Buhari said most Nigerians still maintained the spirit of 1st October despite the challenges being faced as a nation.
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He said:
It is due to this collective attitude that Nigeria doggedly continues to remain a united and indivisible nation.
The President said the past 18 months had been some of the most difficult periods in the history of Nigeria because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said:
Our original priorities for 2020 were to continue stabilising our economy following the deep recession while restoring peace in areas confronted with security challenges. But the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating impact on all nations meant we needed to shift gears and re-strategise.
Nigerians came together as one to fight against COVID-19. It is this attitude and by the special grace of God, we continue to survive the pandemic as a nation and indeed, provide leadership and example at regional and international levels.
On security, the President said in the last four months, the gallant men and women of the military and security agencies had made tremendous progress in addressing the new security challenges in parts of the country, stressing that “We are taking the fight to our enemies from all angles and we are winning.”