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From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, has said Nigerians have nothing to celebrate, noting that the citizenry, on a daily basis, were confronted with issues of insecurity, poverty, and lack of basic amenities, which he said every responsible government should be able to provide.
In a goodwill message to commemorate the 63rd Independence anniversary in Lagos,
Kachukwu said as gloom pervaded the land, Nigerians still bemoaned their lack of independence from endemic poverty, corruption, clueless leadership, lack of basic amenities and the insecurity that worsened by the day.
He decried that several years after, the words of Prof. Aluko still rang through when he said the poor cannot sleep because they are hungry, and the rich cannot sleep because the poor are awake and hungry.
“On a day when Nigerians all over the world and our well-wishers are supposed to say happy Independence Day, many wonder if there is truly anything to be happy about in Nigeria or about Nigeria.
“As gloom pervades the land, Nigerians bemoan their lack of independence from endemic poverty, corruption, clueless leadership, lack of basic amenities and the insecurity that gets worse by the day.
“Many don’t know who to blame and many have resorted to self-help and shortcuts in other to survive.
“Most Nigerians were born into this state of affairs and have lived it all their lives. This is the Nigeria our fathers gave us, but I am not sure this is the Nigeria their parents gave them,” he said.
Kachukwu said those who birthed Nigeria in 1960 were dreamers who believed Nigeria could be so much better under the leadership of the natives of the land.
According to him, they dreamt of a Nigerian that could rival her colonial masters on the world stage. They dreamt of a Nigeria whose citizens were united, educated and prosperous.
He said they believed that in the year 2023; Nigeria would have led the world in all fields of human endeavor.
Kachukwu blamed decades of bad leadership coupled with a docile followership who failed to ask questions or demand better lead the country to the present situation.
He said Nigerians ought to be celebrating so much this day but here they were with little to celebrate or cheer about, adding that their differences continued to divide them while their political class strangled the people.
“Time is, however, saying that today our leadership must move away from the destructive pathway of my turn/our turn to the progressive highway of Nigeria first.
“Nigeria first was the foundation upon which our forefathers built their dream of a nation of limitless possibilities.
“They envisaged a country that will be a beacon of hope for the negro all over the world. A home to all men and women of goodwill.
“This Nigeria we see today is not the Nigeria of their dreams neither is it the Nigeria of our dreams,” he said.
Kachukwu said the nation’s potentials were limitless and when aggregated together, could redefine the country, saying the combined potential of over 200 million Nigerians could change the world.
He said as Nigerians had conquered in music, arts and sports, so must they conquer in engineering and applied sciences, agriculture, robotics and all spheres of human endeavor.
The presidential candidate said this was the era of exodus or jakpa but the exodus must be only in the direction of the promised land, their God given nation called Nigeria.
Kachukwu said they needed to rise and rebuild stronger and deeper foundations to sustain the peace and harmony of multiple tribes who had called this geographical space home.
He said elections were over but their lives were not over and urged Nigerians to let them retool and repurpose for them to come together and redesign the pathway to their future.
Kachukwu said Nigerians were demanding for a future of good governance, rule of law and future of shared dreams hopes and aspirations.
The presidential candidate added that Nigerians were also asking for a future of a country that worked for everyone irrespective of tribe, tongue, religion or political party affiliation.
He urged the President to revise their education curriculum and prepare the children for a future of excellence and leadership.
Kachukwu advised the President to secure Nigeria’s borders, maintain the peace and build a country whose people were known as ‘One Nigeria’.
•Continued on sunnewsonline.com
