Speeches

48th Independence Day Address

Oct 1, 2008 - Dear Lagosians, I heartily congratulate every one of us as we join other Nigerians today in celebrating our country’s 48th independence anniversary. Some people may look at our problems and contend that we have little to thank God for. Such pessimists cannot be more mistaken. We thank God for life. We thank God for health. We thank God for the blessing of our families and loved ones. We thank God even for the mistakes of the past, from which we can learn invaluable lessons to face the future with hope. We thank God for endowing us with undying faith in our innate capacity to fulfill our divine destiny as a people.

I know that many will be tempted to focus on our failures and to lament our national deficiencies. They will compare our accomplishments to our potentials and conclude that we could have done better. I urge us to choose a more positive attitude. Let us see the cup as half full rather than half empty. Let us count our blessings and assess our strengths so we can have the courage and the will to turn yesterday’s shortcomings into tomorrow’s successes.

For instance, we have for the last nine years sustained the longest democratic experiment in Nigeria’s history despite the lapses of our political system. Let us think of countries like where elections degenerated into mindless violence and virtual civil war. At least the rule of law prevails here and the Nigerian judiciary has, again and again, demonstrated its capacity to defend the freedom and rights of the individual. Let us think of those countries still fighting for the freedom we take for granted.

What about the religious harmony and peace we enjoy with people of diverse beliefs living happily even within the same family? Let us not forget those countries where faith has been the unfortunate fountain of endless conflict and mindless bloodshed. They would certainly give anything to be in our shoes. In spite of our national problems, we remain a united and stable country.

Let us remember those countries rendered perennially unstable by sustained warfare and terrorism.

This is why we must face the future with courage and optimism, not cynicism. Most of our pressing national problems have come to the fore now because the rule of law and a more democratic climate encourages the open expression of grievances. We must continue to build on this by strengthening democratic institutions and processes and the rule of law.

Let us remember that the problems of power, management of our oil wealth, the economy, our infrastructure, jobs and all of what challenge us today are not new.

They were with us in full measure from before June 12, 1993 right through to 1999 and from then up to 2007. They simply took back stage because of our unstable polity, that was characterized by arrest of pro-democracy activists, assassinations, impeachments, persecutions, subterfuge, defiance of the judiciary and much more, all of which became the items of our national daily discourse and which unfortunately relegated our real problems to the back burner.

Today, we are not as distracted on the scale that we were about those issues. Today, if the truth must be told, and indeed it must, the polity is much calmer, and I am convinced that this has now enabled us focus better on power, roads, security, the economy and so much more. This is as it should be and I believe that if we stay the course the solutions are within reach.

Even the anti-corruption watch dog, Transparency International, which once rated Nigeria as the most corrupt country in the world, has just declared that the country has become much less corrupt. We are definitely making progress. Yes, there is no excuse for the large scale misapplication and misappropriation of our resources that we experienced in the past. But we are still endowed with abundant natural and mineral resources to build a great future if we apply our minds to it. Above all, our resilience, resourcefulness, tenacity, creativity and determination as a people remain Nigeria’s greatest national resource.

Not a few have wondered if our goal of ranking among the top 20 global economies by Y2020 is not a pipe dream, an illusion. But I say there is so much we can do within the next 12 years to transform our fortunes as a nation. We can invest massively in education at all levels to provide the pool of knowledge, skills and ideas to create opportunities out of our challenges.

We can fast track the power sector reforms to accelerate national economic growth through uninterrupted power supply. We can rehabilitate and reconstruct the two or three most critical highways in each region within a stipulated time frame. We can give ourselves a deadline to put in place a mass transit light rail transit system across the country. We can unleash the power of micro-finance on an unprecedented scale to lift hundreds of millions out of poverty. All we need to do are a few basic but critical things that will unchain our potentials and enable us make a great leap forward. And these are things we can easily do.

All that we require is focus, courage and audacity on the part of all of us who occupy leadership positions as well as discipline, sacrifice and patriotism from us all.

We must also deepen the practice of federalism and restore greater autonomy and initiative to the States. This will facilitate the developmental competitiveness that drives progress in a dynamic and versatile federal system.

In conclusion, let us never underestimate the immense advantages our geographical configuration and population size bestows on us as a people. There is great strength in our diversity as a cultural melting pot.

After 48 years of co-existence, there is simply no viable alternative to one stable and indivisible Nigeria united in our mutually enriching diversity. In Lagos State we reiterate our determination to continue to be at the vanguard of the Nigerian renaissance by aiming in all our endeavors to meet the highest global standards. I wish us all a happy and fulfilling Independence Day anniversary.

Eko O Ni Baje o!

BABATUNDE RAJI FASHOLA (SAN)
GOVERNOR, LAGOS STATE