- Says It’s Committed To Building New Nigeria
By Gbenga Abulude (Politics and General Desk)
The Federal Government on Thursday said the nation will celebrate its 60th independence anniversary in a low-key, year-round celebration.
It said the Diamond Jubilee will be marked with different activities mapped out to last for a year.
Though the low-key celebration was not uconnected with the Covid-19 global pandemic, the federal government assured Nigerians that the Buhari administration was working hard to build a new Nigeria.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and two other ministers made the announcement in Abuja at a media briefing.
The other Ministers at the briefing were the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq.
As part of the celebration, it said, FG will launch the “National Ethics and Integrity Policy” and the “Integrity Award” to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
“The 60th independence anniversary celebration will be low-key, as Mr. President has already announced. Of course, this is not unconnected with the Covid-19 global pandemic, which has forced some safety protocols on nations around the world.
“Therefore, the pomp and pageantry that should have marked the celebration will be largely missing.
“Before I announce the activities that have been lined-up for the Diamond Jubilee, let me say here that the 60th anniversary celebration will be celebrated for a whole year, ending September 30th 2021.
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“Therefore, there are some activities that may come up after the ones to be announced today. This does not mean there will be daily activities between now and Sept. 30th 2021, but that there will be staggered events during that period. We will ensure to keep you posted,” Mohammed said.
Counting the gains of nationhood, FG decided to celebrate the 60th anniversary because the nation was able to survive a Civil War, several political and religious crises and security challenges that threatened fabrics of the nation.
“Now, some may wonder why Nigeria needs to celebrate its Diamond Jubilee at all, considering the myriad of socio-economic challenges facing the country. And our answer to that is contained in our theme of ‘Together’.
“For a country that has gone through a bitter, internecine civil war, years of political crisis, daunting security challenges, including religious and ethnic crisis, etc, our unity and our resilience (which by the way is what diamond represents) are worth celebrating.
“Also, in certain cultures, the age of 60 is seen as the beginning of a new cycle of life, and is usually well marked. For Nigeria as a country, the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari offers a new beginning,” he added.
