In the spirit of the country’s 64th Independence Anniversary celebration, a civil society organisation (CSO), Rising-Up for a United Nigeria (RUN) has appealed to all Nigerians, especially the youths to resist distractions and work towards harnessing the nation’s boundless potential.
RUN, which focuses on empowerment and employment generation admitted the gruelling challenges Nigerians have faced in recent times but maintained that change is a process and all developed nations have passed through them.
In an independence message yesterday delivered by the convener of RUN and president of All Youth Groups and Middle-Aged Citizens in Nigeria, Ambassador Solomon Adodo, he urged Nigerian youths to take advantage of the strategies, projects and initiatives targeted at youth employment and resist the temptation to protest and distract the current administration from actualising its aspirations for Nigerians.
Adodo said, “Great Nigerian youth and middle-aged citizens, 64 years ago, the founding patriarchs of our nation, Nigeria, fought for the liberation and freedom of our nation, Nigeria, from colonial rule. Sixty-four years after, it is on us as heroes present to fight for the collective forward voyage, development, advancement and economic growth of our country, Nigeria.
“Today, we stand as patriots of our dear country to celebrate the independence of a great country, Nigeria. A country with hope and a country with great potentials. This day beckons on us to see how we can harness the boundless potential of the Nigerian youth, partnering with this government in moving the country forward.
“It goes without saying that in the last one year, our country has been plagued with diverse challenges occasioned by the withdrawal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the Naira. This is however, not a time for us to be distracted but to sit together and harness our collective gains. It is not a time for us to be instigated to riotous protests and to be triggered to pick up arms against the government.
“Dear Nigerians and youth of our great country, let it be known that every nation that has made advances and gone to the front lines once passed through tethering phases of challenges like we now do. Let us not also forget the fact that we are fortunate at this point that the country is led by a visionary leader in the person of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was the architect of the modern Lagos in his time as Governor. Our confidence in Mr. President should remain steadfast and unaltered, for the destination of greatness is within sight.
“We should also take note of the fact that the President of the Senate – Senator Godswill Akpabio – turned the hitherto backward state of Akwa ibom into a world-class tourist destination, a flourishing economic hub and a state that can reckon globally anywhere as one amongst the best. These two now man our country and working with them, we will transform our country Nigeria for the better,” he said.
“As true progressives, the current government has emplaced several strategies, several schemes and several innovative entrepreneurial schemes for the youth. In the next few days, we shall commence a baseline survey of our potential, comparative advantages of our regions, what we can do, and how we can move Nigeria forward. Our potentials in agriculture must not be left fallow while we have vast lands and no food. Same with, our manufacturing and production potentials, with the assured support of Mr. President,” Adodo added.
