Nig. @61: Taraba Speaker tasks Nigerians to preserve liberty and freedom
By Jethro Yerga, Jalingo
As Tarabans join other Nigerians to celebrate the country’s 61 years’ anniversary, the Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Hon. Professor Joseph Albasu Kunini has charged Nigerians to rise up to the task of preserving the liberty and freedom which the heroes past of the country had fought hard to earn for the citizens.
Hon. Albasu gave this charge at the Gym Hall, Joly Nyame Stadium Jalingo while delivering a goodwill message to Taraban and Nigeria at the occasion of the celebration of 61st Nigeria’s Independence Anniversary, organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Taraba State.
The Speaker who doubled as the representative of the Executive Governor of Taraba State, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku at the occasion, also stated that the progress and development of the country is not solely dependent on technological advancement but also on how well the people could built social cohesion, peaceful coexistence and trust between themselves.
He said, “as we celebrate today, our aim may be as high as endless sky, but we should resolve in our minds to use the occasion to preserve the liberties and freedom we enjoy. Let us work towards improving the wellbeing and peaceful coexistence of our people, so as to build a great nation that we all can rely on and be proud of.
“Let us honor every patriot, because without freedom we wouldn’t have existed till date. After all, freedom is the most precious thing in every human life and so as a nation, we should prefer poverty in freedom to rich in slavery”. He added.
While calling on Nigerians to rise to the great task of building trust between the people and the nation in order to have peace and stability in the country, Hon. Albasu said Nigerians must be conscious and mindful of how their actions and inactions affect the people’s wellbeing.
He encouraged Nigerians to use the anniversary celebration to show other nations that Nigerians are great people from a great nation, emphasizing that in unity we can stand but divided we can always fall.
The Speaker who urged Nigerians to renew the pledge to always uphold our national unity so that the citizens can live together in peace and harmony, also called on Nigerians to feel proud to be Nigerians and make it a prosperous, progressive and peaceful nation.
Earlier in his opening address, the Hon. Commissioner, Taraba State Ministry of Youth and Sport, Alh. Ibrahim Adams Imam, called on Nigerians to use the occasion to reflect and chart a new course for the socio-economic development of the country.
The Commissioner stated that Nigeria has come of age and so the citizens are in good position to take their destinies in their hands.
Hon. Imam who maintained that the efforts of the country’s fore fathers are not in vain as all facets of life of the people of the country had grown astronomically, wished they would have been alive to see and reap the fruits of their labour.
While appreciating Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku’s commitment to developing Taraba State in all facets, the commissioner stated that the Governor Darius led administration had doubled the pace of development in the state.
He said the governor had given every community a sense of belonging by balancing the leadership structure, especially the traditional institutions which he said had greatly brought succor to the people and the secret behind the relative peace being experienced in the state.
While calling on Tarabans to reciprocate the governor’s gesture by giving the government the necessary cooperation and support, Hon. Imam equally urged Nigerians to revert to the former position of a united and virile society.
He called on Nigerians to be tolerant and respect diverse cultures despite the security and economic challenges the country is facing, adding that the unity of the country is not negotiable as it is the source of the country’s strength.
Meanwhile, the independent day celebration was grace by the Taraba State Speaker of the House of Assembly, commissioners, permanent secretaries of different Ministries, other political appointees, students and other personalities.
there were exciting cultural dance and display by the Taraba State Art Council, cutting of anniversary cake by the representative of the Taraba State Governor, Hon Albasu Kunini and a paper presentation on the theme “The labour of our heroes shall never be in vain”, presented by Mal. Isa Mohammed of the Political Science Department, Taraba State University Jalingo.
