By Martin Paul, Abuja

As Nigerians prepare to celebrate the 60^th Anniversary of independence on October 1, the Federal Government has said that President Muhammadu Buhari administration is working assiduously to build a new Nigeria.

It stated that celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of the nation became imperative having “survived the civil war, security challenges and many political and religious crises”.

The low key nature of celebration would also feature the launch of the “National Ethics and Integrity Policy and Integrity Award to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) by President Buhari.

Speaking yesterday, at a briefing by a three-man media sub-committee for the event, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said the low-key nature of independence anniversary was not unconnected with the COVID-19 pandemic.

He, however, said the nation opted to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee because the nation was able to survive a civil war, security challenges and many political and religious crises.

 “The 60th independence anniversary celebration will be low-key, as Mr. President has already announced. Of course, this is not unconnected with the Covid-19 global pandemic, which has forced some safety protocols on nations around the world.

“Therefore, the pomp and pageantry that should have marked the celebration will be largely missing.

“Before I announce the activities that have been lined-up for the Diamond Jubilee, let me say here that the 60th anniversary celebration will be celebrated for a whole year, ending September 30th 2021.

“Therefore, there are some activities that may come up after the ones to be announced today. This does not mean there will be daily activities between now and Sept. 30th 2021, but that there will be staggered events during that period. We will ensure to keep you posted.

“Now, some may wonder why Nigeria needs to celebrate its Diamond Jubilee at all, considering the myriad of socio-economic challenges facing the country. And our answer to that is contained in our theme of ‘Together’.

“For a country that has gone through a bitter, internecine civil war, years of political crisis, daunting security challenges, including religious and ethnic crisis, etc, our unity and our resilience (which by the way is what diamond represents) are worth celebrating.
“Also, in certain cultures, the age of 60 is seen as the beginning of a new cycle of life, and is usually well marked. For Nigeria as a country, the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari offers a new beginning.”

He said the Buhari administration  will bequeath a new Nigeria by laying the foundation for industrial and technological development.

 “The Administration is working assiduously to build a new Nigeria, laying the building blocks for industrial and technological development by building massive infrastructure in the areas of power, roads, bridges, rail etc. and by developing human capital.

“This Administration is also fighting corruption, tackling insecurity and diversifying the economy by leveraging ICT, Creative Industry, Agriculture and mining, among others and so, I say, let the celebrations begin, and this is wishing all Nigerians a happy 60th independence anniversary,” he said.

The Minister re-echoed President Buhari’s explanation of the 60th anniversary logo, adding: “Please permit me to quote Mr. President’s explanation of the logo: The neatly encrusted Diamond on the Nigerian Map symbolizes our age of treasure, the worth of the Nigerian people with our sparkle to the admiration of the world.

“In the same vein, the pear green and dark green colours should respectively remind us of our warmth, welcoming spirit and love as well as the abundant wealth inherent in our human capital and the richness of our land. All these properties make us unarguably the most prosperous black nation in the world and Africa’s largest economy.”

Other Ministers at the session were the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq.

…HURIWA Faults FG Plans to Link Niger Republic by Rail

Meanwhile, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has described the Federal Government decision to build railway line from Kano to Niger Republic as fraudulent and against public interest.

The group also threatened to sue President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the multi-billion naira project, which is expected to star from Kano state.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko and made available to DAILY ASSET yesterday, HURIWA condemned the approval of about $1.96 billion contract of the proposed project.

The human rights group described the planned project as a misplaced priority and a grave threat to national security, insisting that it is fraudulent to borrow from China and build for Niger Republic and then tax Nigerians to pay back.

The Federal Government had yesterday approved a $1,959,744,723.71 contract for a rail line that would link Nigeria to Niger Republic.

The railway will connect at least seven cities in Nigeria and one city in Niger Republic and is expected to start from Kano and pass through Dambatta, Kazaure, Daura, Mashi, Katsina, Jibia and terminate in Maradi, Niger Republic.

HURIWA said that the project is another proof of misplacement of priority by the Buhari regime.

However, the rights group described the project as a ticking time bomb and a grave threat to National security, adding that when completed, it will ease the influx of illegal aliens into Nigeria.

“We are worried that this project when completed will be express entry for killer herdsmen and terrorists from Niger. We see it also as a plot to flood Nigeria with illegal aliens for purposes of undermining the 2023 polls,” the group said.

“Therefore, we condemn this venture as wasteful because of the danger of being used to import weapons that will set Nigeria ablaze. Whereas there are no such rail lines linking Lagos to Enugu and Port Harcourt or Maiduguri to Enugu, President Buhari is investing almost $2bn to build railways for terrorists and bandits to flood into Nigeria and destabilize the country. Is this government just for the North?

“In any event, the bottom line is that security everywhere in Nigeria, particularly across the north, appears to be rapidly deteriorating, resulting to popular discontent. Hence, this rail project is ill-timed and a wasteful effort.

“Beyond the security aspect, Let us even look at it from the point of view of the economy. What is the economic benefit of this project to Nigeria? The Nigerian economy, as it is today, is not in a state to contain this kind of wasteful spending.

“Generally, illegal immigration in Nigeria is a serious problem and the border has become quite porous. According to authorities, people from Niger are the biggest group of illegal immigrants, and the problems with illegal influx migrants are seen in the dangers faced by the host or receiving country, which are social, economic, political and security.

“A rapid influx of illegal immigrants has led to crisis of identification and an increase in the crime rates in Nigeria. It is alleged that among the illegal migrants, there are militants, who enter the nation to carry out terrorist activities.

“Terrorism has become a global trend, and it is thought that the current government of Muhammadu Buhari would seek out practical ways to strengthen our porous borders, instead, it is creating easy and accessible means of illegal arms trafficking and immigrants.”