The Federal Government has declared Thursday Oct. 1 as public holiday to mark Nigeria’s 60th Independence Anniversary Celebration.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Mrs Georginia Ehuriah, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who made the declaration on behalf of the federal government, congratulated all Nigerians on the celebration of the country’s Diamond Jubilee.
Aregbeshola assured Nigerians of government’s unwavering commitment to the socio-economic transformation of the country.
According to him, the warmth, spirit and love and the abundant wealth inherent in our human capital and the richness of our land, makes Nigeria unarguably the leading black nation in the world.
The minister noted that Nigeria, being Africa’s pride and beacon of hope, could only live up to that if Nigerians rallied themselves together to harness such potentials.
“A country of about 200 million people whose natural talent, grit and passion glitter like the precious DIAMOND that we are. Nigerians are sparkling like diamonds in the pack.
“Whether in academia, business, innovation, music, movie, entertainment, fashion and culture, we are indeed the leading black nation in the entire world and no doubt Africa’s pride and beacon of hope,” Aregbesola said.
He said further that though, celebrating 60 years of independence really called for pomp and pageantry, but the celebration would be a low-key due to COVID-19.
Aregbeshola, while wishing Nigerians a fruitful celebration, reminded them of the fact that the founding fathers, in spite of the differences in faith, tribe and tongue, came together for Nigeria’s independence.
He, therefore, called on all Nigerians to join hands together with the present administration in its quest to ensure a better Nigeria for all citizens, both at home and abroad.
This, he said, would be a befitting tribute to the struggles of our heroes past.
“We must together make Nigeria great,” Aregbesola said.(NAN)
