The Association of Local Government of Nigeria(ALGON), Oyo State chapter is delighted to join millions of patriotic Nigerians all over the world to wish the country and her citizenry happy 59th Independence Day Celebration.
In a statement signed on Monday by its Chairman, Prince Ayodeji Abass-Aleshinloye said for Nigeria to have remained one indivisble nation for 59 years inspite of all the challenges that have been confronting her as a multiethnic nation not only deserves to be celebrated but also calls for thanksgiving to God Almighty.
According to Aleshinloye "At 59, Nigeria as a nation and Nigerians as a people should begin to see the unity of the country as a development that has become indelible, which should also encourage the citizenry to think less about tribal and religious differences, and think more about the harmony and progress of the nation."
He also said that Nigerians should equally begin to take the wordings of the National Anthem and the National Pledge more serious than they had never done before. The truth is that the wordings of the National Anthem and the National Pledge should stand as the creed of all Nigerians of goodwill. The National Anthem should not be seen and treated as an ordinary music and the National Pledge shouldn’t be seen and said as an ordinary poem. Their wordings call for sober reflections on the part of Nigerians.
"As a matter of fact, at 59 years of age, Nigerians should also grow beyond ethnic war songs. Hence, ethnic associations and groups beating ethnic war drums should put a halt to that. Even the quest for sovereignity by some zonal or ethnic bodies should also be dropped since such tendencies have no meaningful contribution to make to the unity, development and prosperity of the nation".
Leaders should always strive to ensure economic prosperity and conducive secured environment for people to unleash their potentials, especially at the grassroots level for opportunities because many of these ethnic and religious problems are products of economic tensions. What is expected is that all hands should be on deck to build a Nigeria of our collective dream where freedom, peace and unity abound, and where the labour of our Heroes past, shall never be in vain.
ALGON hopes that Oyo State will reflect with the mood of the nation's independence, on the struggles and sacrifices of our heroes past and present who fought for the nation's independence and democracy on the foundation of rule of law and supremacy of the the people's will, and quickly retrace its dangerous footsteps at undermining grassroots democracy, rule of law and good government in Oyo State.
The governor should remove his grip hold on local government as a third tier of government in Nigeria.
Aleshinloye further said that "It is also important that Nigerians leverage on the 59th Independence Day event to pray for the leadership of the nation at the moment, and the leadership at the state levels, and also pray that the lofty desire of President Mohammadu Buhari to rid Nigeria of corruption should produce the needed result. May the good Lord bless Oyo people in particular and Nigerians in general on this momentous period of Nigeria’s 59th Independence Day Celebration."
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