The federal government has declared Monday as a public holiday to mark Nigeria’s 62nd independence anniversary celebration.
In a statement on Wednesday, Rauf Aregbesola, minister of interior, congratulated Nigerians on the celebration and assured of the government’s commitment to tackling the challenges facing the nation.
“The world is going through dire economic and security challenges which have also affected our nation. However, I am assuring us all that the government will not abandon the people, but will continue to confront all these challenges with all the might at our disposal until respite comes our way,” Aregbesola said.
The minister reiterated the “eminent” position of Nigeria in the comity of nations.
“Our warmth, welcoming spirit and love as well as our unbounded human capital and the richness of our land, make Nigeria unarguably the leading black nation in the world and Africa’s pride and beacon of hope,” he said.
“If we can rally ourselves together to harness our potentials, we shall be the greatest nation on the earth.
“A country of over 200 million people whose natural talents, grit and passion glitter like the precious diamond that we are; Nigerians are sparkling like diamonds in the pack, whether in the academia, science and technology, business, innovation, music, entertainment, fashion or culture.”
The minister urged Nigerians to use the occasion to reflect on the challenges facing the nation and the role individuals can play in addressing them.
“Though our nation is going through challenges, especially on security, these challenges are temporary and do not define us,” he said.
“We are defined by the greatness of the Nigerian people in our diversity, strength, ingenuity and resilience.
“We shall overcome all the challenges. A time is coming when we shall look at this period in retrospect and give thanks to the Most High for the stormy waters we have waded through and the triumphs we have recorded over the challenges that look so huge and gargantuan today.”
The minister also urged Nigerians to be security conscious, asking them to report any suspicious persons or activities to the nearest security agency and through the N-Alert application on Android and IOS.