on the Occasion of the Independence Day Anniversary on Monday,
1stoctober, 2012
1.Beloved countrymen and women, on this day, fifty-two years ago, our
founding fathers brought joy and hope to the hearts of our people when
they won independence for our great country. Nigeria made a clean
break with more than six decades of colonial rule, and emerged as a
truly independent nation. That turning point was a new beginning for
our nation.
2.Those who witnessed the lowering of the Union Jack and the emergence
of the Green White Green flag continue to relish the memory, because
that ceremony was not just about the destiny of a nation, but the
future of a people.
3.That future is here; we are the inheritors of a great legacy that
goes even much farther into
the past.
4.The worthy patriot who made this possible were young men and women
in their twenties and thirties. They worked together to restore
dignity and honour to the Nigerian people. Their resolve united a
multicultural and multilingual nation of diverse peoples, with
more than 250 distinct languages and ethnic groups.
5.In 1960, our diversity became a source of strength, and the new
leaders resolved to carry the flag of independence for the benefit of
future generations. They had their differences, but they placed a
greater premium on the need to come together to build a new nation.
6.It is that resolve, and that glorious moment that we celebrate
today. We also celebrate the patriotism of our heroes past: Dr Nnamdi
Azikiwe, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi
Awolowo, Sir Michael Okpara, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Herbert
Macaulay, and several others who made the case for our independence.
7.We remember as always, their contributions to the making of the
Nigerian nation, and the efforts of their successors since 1960. We
also celebrate the unfailing optimism and resilience of Nigerians who
remain proud of our national identity.
8.On this special day, I call on every Nigerian to remain steadfast,
because our nation is indeed making progress. I call on every Nigerian
to rediscover that special spirit that enables us to triumph over
every adversity as a people:
9.We weathered the storm of the civil war, we have refused to be
broken by sectarian crises; we have remained a strong nation. I bring
to you today, a message of renewed hope and faith in the immense
possibilities that lie ahead.
10. Fellow citizens, I have an unshaken belief in the future of our
great Country. I consider it a priority and sacred duty to continue to
strengthen the bond of unity that holds our nation together and to
promote and nourish the creative energies of our people. This is a
central objective of our administration's Transformation Agenda.
Nigeria, I assure you, will continue to grow from strength to
strength.
11. Since I assumed office as President of our dear country on the 6th
of May 2010, I have continued to work with our countrymen and women to
enhance our nation's growth and development.
12.Our vision is encapsulated in the Transformation Agenda. We are
working hard and making progress on many fronts. We have cleaned up
our electoral process; our elections are now globally acclaimed to be
free and fair. Nigeria is now on a higher pedestal regarding
elections.
13.Over the past five years, the global economy has been going through
a weak and uncertain recovery. During the same period and particularly
in the last two years, the Nigerian economy has done appreciably well
despite the global financial crisis. Nigeria's real Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) has grown by 7.1 per cent on average.
14.It is also significant that the GDP growth has been driven largely
by the non-oil sector. In pursuance of the main goals of the
Transformation Agenda, a number of reforms and initiatives are being
pursued in key sectors of the economy with a view to consolidating the
gains of the economic growth.
15.Our country's power supply situation is improving gradually. We are
successfully implementing a well- integrated power sector reform
programme which includes institutional arrangements to facilitate and
strengthen private-sector-led power generation, transmission and
distribution.
16.We have also put in place a cost-reflective tariff structure that
reduces the cost of power for a majority of electricity consumers. I
am pleased with the feedback from across the country, of improvements
in power supply.
17.We are continuing to improve and stabilize on our crude production
volumes; our 12-month gas supply emergency plan, put in place earlier
this year, has produced more than the targeted volumes of gas for
power generation. A robus Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) has been
placed before the National Assembly. Its passage into law will ensure
far- reaching reforms, transparency, accountability, increased
government revenue and predictability for investors in the Oil and Gas
sector.
18.Several government programmes and projects are creating wealth and
millions of job opportunities for our youth and general population.
Such programmes include: You-Win, both for the youth and for the
women, Public Works, the Local Content Initiative in the Oil and Gas
Sector, and the Agricultural Transformation programme.
19.We have improved on our investment environment; more corporate
bodies are investing in the Nigerian economy. Our Investment Climate
Reform Programme has helped to attract over N6.8 trillion local and
foreign direct investment commitments.
20.Nigeria has become the preferred destination for investment in
Africa. It is ranked first in the top 5 host economies for Foreign
Direct Investment (FDI) in Africa, accounting for over 20 per cent of
total FDI flows into the continent. We have streamlined bureaucratic
activities at the ports to ensure greater efficiency in the handling
of ports and port-related businesses. Specifically, we have
drastically reduced the goods clearing period in our ports from about
six weeks to about one week and under. We have an ultimate target of
48 hours.
21. We have put in place, a new visa policy that makes it easier for
legitimate investors to receive long stay visas. We have achieved a
24-hour timeline for registration of new businesses, leading to the
registration of close to 7, 000 companies within the second quarter of
2012.
22.The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has disclosed that,
as at July 2012, 249 new members across the country had joined the
Association, and that capacity utilization has also improved. The
multiplier effect of this development on our job creation programme
cannot be over-emphasized.
23.In the last two years, we have put in place structures for an
upgrade of the country's health sector, to promote in every respect,
the individual citizen's right to quality,
affordable and accessible healthcare.
24.In this regard, we are devoting resources under the Subsidy
Reinvestment Program (SURE-P) to reducing malaria incidents,
dramatically reducing maternal and child mortality, and eradicating
polio.
25.Fellow Nigerians, in recent times, we have witnessed serious
security challenges in parts of our country. We have taken pro-active
measures to check the menace. This has included constant consultation
and collaboration with our neighbours and other friendly nations on
issues relating to internal and cross border security, and the sharing
of information on smuggling and illegal dealing in small arms and
light weapons.
26.Our security agencies are constantly being strengthened and
repositioned for greater efficiency. Many Nigerians have acknowledged
that there has been a significant decline in the spate of security
breaches.
27.While expressing our condolences to the affected families, let me
reiterate the commitment of this Administration to ensure the safety
of lives and property of all Nigerians.
28.Even as we remain focused on the issue of security, the fight
against the scourge of corruption is a top priority of our
Administration. We are fighting corruption in all facets of our
economy, and we are succeeding. We have put an end to several decades
of endemic corruption associated with fertilizer and tractor
procurement and distribution. We
have exposed decades of scam in the management of pensions and fuel
subsidy, and ensured that the culprits are being brought to book.
29.In its latest report, Transparency International (TI) noted that
Nigeria is the second most improved country in the effort to curb
corruption.
30.We will sustain the effort in this direction with an even stronger
determination to strengthen the institutions that are statutorily
entrusted with the task of ending this scourge.
31.I have given my commitment of non-interference in the work of the
relevant agencies and I am keeping my word. What we require is the
full cooperation of all tiers of government, and the public,
especially civil society and the media.
32.This Administration has also introduced for the first time in
Nigeria's history, a Performance Contract System for all Ministers,
and other officials of government. This is
to further place emphasis on performance, efficiency, and service delivery.
33.Fellow Nigerians, our determined efforts on several fronts
not-withstanding, our country still faces a number of challenges.
34.Those challenges should not deter us. In the last few weeks, for
example, many of our communities have been ravaged by floods,
resulting in the loss of lives and
property, and the displacement of persons.
35.I want to reassure all affected Nigerians that I share in their
grief, and our Administration is taking steps to address these
incidents, in collaboration with the States and Local Governments.
36.I have received the interim Report of the Presidential team that I
set up to assess the flooding situation across the country.
37. The Federal Government has taken measures to assist the affected
States, while considering long term measures to check future
reoccurrence.
38.We must continue to work together, confidently and faithfully, to
ensure that our country's potentials are realised to the fullest; that
our dreams are translated into reality; and that our goals are
achieved.
39. Let me reiterate that our administration is committed to the
pursuit of fundamental objectives of an open society: the pursuit of
freedom, security and prosperity for the Nigerian people, and the rule
of law.
40. In the next few days, I shall lay before the National Assembly the
2013 Federal Budget Proposal so that deliberations can commence in
earnest on the key policies, programmes and projects that will mark a
decisive year for our development and transformation.
41. I have no doubt that by the time I address you on our next
independence anniversary, many of our reform efforts would have
yielded even better results.
42.Over the years, several leaders have built on the foundation laid
by our Founding Fathers. The baton is now in our hands. Let me assure
all Nigerians that we shall notfail.
43. I am confident that Nigeria will continue to be a source of pride
to its citizens; to Africa and the Black Race and to humanity; a land
that is known for progress, freedom, peace and the promotion of human
dignity.
44.May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. May God bless you all.