Rivers State Chief Executive Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, says it is the responsibility of all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria great.
Governor Wike stated this while speaking during an interdenominational church service to commemorate the nation’s Diamond Jubilee independence day anniversary at St Paul’s Cathedral Diobu, Port Harcourt on Sunday 27th September, 2020.
Represented by his Deputy, Dr. Mrs. Ipalibo Harry Banigo, Governor Wike said Nigeria proclaimed her independence from the British Colonial Rule, on the 1st of October 1960, adding that there is a need to pay respect and give a thought to the sacrifices made by our founding fathers as we celebrate 60 years of freedom from the shackles of colonialism.
“As we go through the passage of nationhood today, we need to pay respect and begin to think about the sacrifices that were made by our founding fathers who sacrificed everything important, who were so heroic and so patriotic in their course to make sure we can be called a nation”. The Governor stressed.
Governor Wike regretted that the nation is bedevilled by so many challenges like poor infrastructure, poor issues of manufacturing, insurgency, poverty, unemployment and fragmented democracy, noting that Nigeria will become the nation of our dream if we continue to keep the faith and keep the doing the best we can to make our country better.
The State Chief Executive who called for prayers for the nation said “we still have a lot to thank God for by his infinite mercy we are still one as a nation and so, I wish to urge all of us to pray for the unity, progress and development of Nigeria, we need to pray because we know God has been answering our prayers and that is why today we are able to celebrate even in the midst of the global pandemic our nation is still one”.
In his Sermon the Bishop, Diocese of Niger Delta North, Rt. Rev. Wisdom Ihunwo who spoke through Ven. Kingsley Ogbonda said Nigerians have allowed ethnicity and religion to eat deep into our system, noting that the solution is to humble ourselves in brokenness before God, strengthening the hands of those who mean well for the nation and the need to lay fresh firm foundation for the nation to move forward.
