President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday
addressed Nigerians as the country marked its 58th Independence anniversary.
In a speech broadcast across the nation, the
President called for unity, while promising to ensure free and fair elections
in 2019.
Among other things, the President hailed the
military and security agencies for the progress made in tackling insecurity in
the country and warned disruptive and corrosive forces on social media to
desist from their acts or be prepared to face the law.
Read his full speech below:
NATIONAL BROADCAST BY MUHAMMADU BUHARI
PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA ON THE 58TH INDEPENDENCE
ANNIVERSARY, 1ST OCTOBER, 2018
Fellow Nigerians,
Today is a day of celebration and solemn
reflection. It is the anniversary of the day Nigerians realised one of the most
cherished of human desires – the desire for freedom. We, therefore, give thanks
to and remember our founding fathers who laboured so hard and sacrificed so
much to build and bequeath to us this wonderful nation. It is our duty to
consolidate this great legacy.
2. On this first October date and on the eve
of the start of the general election cycle, we should do well to reflect on
what binds us together and the great strength our diversity bestows on us. Ours
is an ambitious nation, and, as citizens we have every right to look forward to
the future with confidence and optimism which are well founded, considering
where we find ourselves today.
3. There has been a steady improvement in the
security situation in the North East. We remain committed to ending the crisis
and make the North East safe for all.
4. Our thoughts and prayers are always with
the victims of the Boko Haram’s atrocities and their families. Beyond that, we
know that the goals of the Boko Haram terrorists include capturing territories,
destroying our democracy and denying our children the right to education. We
will not allow them to succeed.
5. I want at this point to pay tribute to the
men and women of our armed forces, the Police and other security and law
enforcement agencies, who have been working under the most difficult conditions
to keep the country safe. In the process, many have made the supreme sacrifice.
6. As their Commander -In- Chief, I assure
these our gallant men and women that I will continue to empower them by
deepening their professionalism and providing all the necessary force
multipliers and enablers required for them to prevail on the field. I am
looking into all reported cases of inadequacies in relation to their
entitlements, their welfare and those of their families.
7. We are diversifying away from reliance on
oil to increased manufacturing capacity, solid minerals development, and
agriculture.
8. Efforts are on course in the Niger Delta to
clean up polluted lands, restore hopes of the youths in the region and
re-establish livelihoods, and strengthen their capacity to guarantee for
themselves and for our country a brighter future.
9. The age-long conflict between herders and
farmers that was being exploited by those seeking to plant the seeds of discord
and disunity amongst our people, is being addressed decisively. We will sustain
and continue to support the commendable efforts by all including civil society
organisations, local and states governments and our traditional and religious
leaders in finding durable solution to this problem.
10. This being a transhumance issue, we are
working with countries in our region that are also facing similar difficulties
to complement our common efforts. In this context I must warn that the
perpetrators of murder and general mayhem in the name of defending or
protecting herders or farmers will face the full wrath of the law. Meanwhile,
we urge all peace-loving Nigerians to reject any simplistic portrayal, at home
or abroad, of this conflict as either religious or ethnic based.
11. We are one of the countries in the world
most affected by environmental degradation, as a consequence of climate change.
We are signatories to almost all conventions and agreements aimed at slowing
down the effect of climate change and mitigating its now evident consequences.
12. The consequences on lives and livelihoods
of the shrinking of the Lake Chad and the pollution caused by oil exploitation
activities alone make it mandatory on us to be at the forefront of the struggle
for a safer and more sustainable environment. We will continue to mobilise
international support for our efforts in this regard.
13. We are making progress in the fight
against corruption and recovery of stolen public funds and assets despite
vicious and stiff resistance. The shameful past practice, of the brazen theft
of billions of Naira is no more. Shady oil deals and public contracts that were
never delivered have become things of the past.
14. Consequently, and this is very evident
across the country, we have done more with less in infrastructural
developments. Roads, railways, major bridges, schools, energy and power, air
and sea ports, welfare of serving and retired personnel both civilian and
military including payment of legacy debt such as pension arrears, have been
attended to.
15. There is now an enabling environment for
local and foreign investment in Nigeria. We are building a rules-based system –
a level playing field that is free from fixers and intermediaries. This is the
cornerstone to help genuine investors and honest consumers, and the platform
that will allow for the real reforms that we intend to deliver over the coming
years.
16. We are gradually strengthening the economy
with a stable Naira and falling inflation rate. We are building an economy that
is moving away from over reliance on oil. Consequently we have witnessed
massive return to farms and seen bumper harvest, despite recurrent floods
across the country.
17. These positive developments are the result
of our collective pursuit of a common vision through hard work and dedication,
after the missed opportunities and disappointments that followed the return to
democracy in 1999.
18. At the forefront, have always been our
youths. They have been at the vanguard of the struggle for independence. They
fought in the war to keep the country united. And it was they who kept alive
the struggle for democracy and human rights in our country at times when these
were at risk, especially following the June 12th 1993 election and the historic
2015 election process.
19. Even today, our youths play a central role
in Nigeria’s continuing progress and developments in all fields of our national
endeavour –technology, agriculture, mining, engineering and especially the
creative arts. Together we are building a more diverse, inclusive and
self-reliant economy.
20. In the past three years we have introduced
many policies and programmes targeted at youth development and youth
empowerment. We support the ‘not too young to run’ legislation aimed at giving
the youths greater say in our national politics and governance.
21. The school feeding program in primary
schools is aimed at encouraging enrolment and attendance. We are building on
what we have already introduced to support schools and universities to which
funds have recently been released for upgrade of facilities, training programs
for our entrepreneurs, and rehabilitation schemes for victims of terrorism and
human trafficking.
Fellow Nigerians,
22. Now we have in our hands technology that
is a powerful tool that we can and should use for knowledge and understanding.
As with other countries, we must also learn how to manage those tendencies
that, instead, look to abuse new technologies to provoke passions and stir
tensions.
23. Never before have we faced such a
challenge. We must all rise to the responsibility of shutting out those
disruptive and corrosive forces that hide in today’s world of social media. We
need critical minds and independent thinking, to question and question until we
are satisfied we have the facts. Otherwise, all the progress we have made as a
democracy since 1999 is at stake.
24. I have committed myself many times to
ensure that elections are fully participatory, free and fair and that the
Independent National Electoral Commission will be exactly INDEPENDENT and
properly staffed and resourced. The ballot box is how we make our choice for
the governments that rule in our name.
Fellow Nigerians,
25. Developing a thriving democracy is not an
easy task. There can be no quick fixes or short cuts. These are the most
important lessons that we have learnt in our 58 years as an independent nation.
26. At the international level, we remain a
responsible and respected member of the international community, playing active
positive roles within ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations as well
as all other regional and international organisations and institutions of which
we are members.
27. We will continue to support initiatives
aimed at addressing the challenges of our times: global and regional crises and
conflicts, terrorism, trans-border crime, climate change, human rights, gender
equality, development, poverty and inequality within and between nations, etc.
In this context, we are working hard to achieve both the AU 2063 Agenda for
socio-economic transformation of our continent; and the UN 2030 Agenda for
sustainable development, which together aim at addressing these challenges
Fellow Nigerians,
28. As we celebrate the 58th Anniversary of
our independence, we know we are on the right path. Although we have our
differences, they count for far less than the values, virtues and common
aspirations that unite us as a nation. We have so much for which we should be
grateful, and in which we should rightly take pride. Our journey is not
finished but we have come a long way.
29. I want to assure you that as President, I
will continue to work tirelessly to promote, protect and preserve what really
matters: a united, peaceful, prosperous and secure Nigeria, where all,
irrespective of background, can aspire to succeed.
Thank you. I wish you a memorable independence
celebration.
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