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As Nigerians mark the nation’s 66th Independence anniversary, Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, and his Enugu State counterpart, Peter Mbah, have urged citizens to renew their faith in the country and embrace courage, optimism, and thanksgiving, stressing that nation-building is not always accompanied by fanfare.
Governor Uzodimma, in his independence address, noted that in spite of the challenges that have assailed the country since Independence in 1960, the country still provides an opportunity for Nigerians to develop and realise their potentials. He said there was no cause for despair as the country still holds a lot of promise for its citizens in the years ahead, adding that instead of bemoaning the challenges, Nigerians should join hands to further develop the country.
Uzodimma urged Nigerians to borrow a leaf from former American President, John F Kennedy in seeking what they can do for the country and not the other way around.
“We must guard against allowing temporary hardships to make us despair about Nigeria itself. We should all remain hopeful of better days”, he submitted.
The governor said Nigeria had survived political crises, economic difficulties, insecurity, and other challenges over the past 66 years, noting that the resilience of Nigerians remained a source of hope for the country’s future.
He urged them to support President Bola Tinubu GCFR in his economic reforms to ensure that Nigeria becomes great like America.
Also, speaking at a thanksgiving Mass held at the Enugu Government House Chapel, yesterday, to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day.
Governor Mbah noted that although this year’s commemoration was largely low-key and devoid of fanfare across the country, the quietness of the celebration should not diminish the significance of the occasion.
“Nation-building is not always accompanied by fireworks,” the governor said.
He observed that some of the most consequential work in the country was being done quietly in classrooms, hospitals, farms, construction sites, factories, businesses, laboratories, and security formations, as well as in countless places where Nigerians wake up every morning and continue to contribute to the country’s progress.
“There are moments in a nation’s journey when the difficulties are so immediate that it becomes difficult to see the possibilities beyond them. But dawn does not announce itself with noise. It begins quietly.
“So, even as we acknowledge the difficulties that confront us, we must also acknowledge that Nigeria’s journey has not been an underwhelming one,” he stated.
Continuing, Mbah recalled that Nigeria had survived crises that tore other nations apart, while noting that the reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu were beginning to create new opportunities and conditions for economic growth.
“Let us acknowledge, honestly, the challenges before us. But let us also refuse the temptation to define Nigeria only by her difficulties. A nation is not measured only by the problems it faces, but also by the courage with which it confronts them.
“That is the spirit with which we must approach Nigeria at 66 – not with blind optimism, and certainly not with despair, but with faith, courage, honesty, and work. It is heartwarming that the President’s policies and reforms have created remarkable opportunities for states that are prepared to take advantage of them.
“Today, there are also indications that some of the difficult reforms undertaken at the federal level are beginning to create conditions for greater economic stability and production,” he said.
Mbah described Enugu State as living proof of the promise of independence, resilience, and self-belief, saying the state had moved from a narrative of decline to one of renewal.
“There was a time when the dominant conversation about Enugu was about what had been lost – about a city and a state whose best days were behind them. Today, a different story is being written. A renaissance is taking place – across our schools and hospitals, our roads, and even in the skies, in once moribund factories, our agricultural communities, and our tourism space.
“This is why the story of Enugu is a story about what becomes possible when a people refuse to surrender to the limitations of yesterday. And that, for me, is the optimism that Independence Day should stir in every Nigerian,” he added.
The governor thanked the people of Enugu State for their support, reassuring them of his administration’s determination to remain focused on its development agenda.
In his homily, the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Most Rev. Callistus Onaga, expressed regret that Nigeria, despite its enormous potential, had yet to fully realise the promise of independence, particularly in the face of persistent security and economic challenges. He, however, emphasised that Nigerians had many reasons to give thanks to God.
Onaga commended Mbah for what he described as significant progress in the state, particularly in the area of security, stressing that sustainable investment and development could not take place in an atmosphere of insecurity.
“My dear brothers and sisters, if you were here between 2021 and 2023, the security situation was terrible. Those who may not know why I say this, let me tell you. Within that period, I buried four priests, killed. Some were kidnapped. But thanks to God; when the present government of the state came in, something was done immediately. I feel it. I think Enugu is the most beautiful state to have in Nigeria.
“Of course, it is not to say that it is all over. No. We need to do more,” he said.
The bishop urged leaders to deploy the mandates entrusted to them for the public good, stressing that political and public authority should be exercised as an opportunity to serve and care for the vulnerable.
“It is the power to love, to serve, and to care for the weak and the poor – those on the fringes of existence,” he said.
Onaga further called for a stronger moral foundation for the country, saying Nigeria’s progress should be anchored not only on material development, but also on justice, holiness and truth.
“Our national map will not rest on purely material foundations. It will rest on a new moral condition built on justice, holiness, and truth,” he concluded.
The Mass was attended by heads of other arms of government, senior government officials, and other leaders.
