As Nigerians on this day 1st October marks the 60th Independence anniversary of our beloved country Nigeria, the executive cabinet of National Youth Council of Nigeria, Imota LCDA Local Branch, led by Comrade Folarin Adegboyega Awal urges youths across Imota LCDA to learn from the past mistakes of our leaders and position themselves towards making lasting impacts amidst myriad of challenges facing the country in the areas of security of life and properties, food production, industrial output, quality education, healthcare system, economic diversification and productivity, et al.
October 1st therefore signals another opportunity for us as progressive youths and critical stakeholder in Imota LCDA to ponder on the state of our dear nation and the failure of the past leaders which has largely defined the country’s misfortune.
The coordinator of NYCN Imota LCDA Local Branch, Comrade Folarin Adegboyega Awal while highlighting the opportunities ahead for youth stressed that “Nigeria remains a great country, with diverse nationalities, cultures, religions and values, and has defied all doomsday predictions to remain a united nation. This is enough reason for self-congratulation and hope for a better future”
“To this extent, we cannot pretend to be satisfied with the development and progress of this country 60 years after independence, it is not too late for youth across the nation to start working collectively towards making democracy work for all. We had been inflicted with too much pains and now is the time for us as Nigerian youths to focus more on our potentials.
Comrade Folarin congratulates all the Nigerian youths across the nation and stressed further that sixty years after independence, many Nigerians are still blaming the present parlous state of the country on British colonialists who left over five decades ago forgetting the fact that the present and the future matters a lot as it can be managed judiciously unlike the past which can only be reffered to; but cannot be changed any longer
At 60, Nigeria has much catch-up to do for proper repositioning ranging from the unnerving socio-economic challenge, security issues, mass poverty, gross official recklessness, near zero governance, foreign reserves depleted significantly, crude oil hike price etc however, the economy is in dire straits with the potential to get worse if sound political and economic judgment is not brought to bear on the affairs of state”
“Nigeria at 60 can still fulfill her destiny if Nigerians realizes that the trouble with Nigeria as noted by famed author and intellectual icon, Chinua Achebe, is a failure of leadership. This failure has resulted in shattered hopes, broken promises, misplaced priorities and opportunities and unfulfilled aspirations. A nation, it has been said, rises or falls on the quality of its leadership. Nigeria is a terrible victim of the poverty of good leadership, destructive leadership to be precise. Good leaders must show strength of conviction and character. What poor leadership in Nigeria has done is to create 175 to 200 million passive citizens who have no voice. Every citizen must therefore share the blame, one way or the other, for the Nigerian condition”
“So, i want to use this medium to advise the entire Imota LCDA youths to let us all chart a new course of progress towards the actualization of a Nigeria of our dreams, Nigeria needs leaders with bigger dreams and focus, the likes of people who would do things the way it ought to be. It is not too late to rescue Nigeria from the brink. Exemplary leadership is imperative at all levels to realize the dreams of the founding fathers who toiled for Nigeria’s statehood. Nigeria must demonstrate its coveted state of independence by beginning a new chapter, and the time to do so is now”
Comrade Folarin also in his speech posits that “as useful youths, our role is to be fully involved in the task of societal development because we are part of the major stakeholders in the nation building of our various societies” so the expected return from this will be nothing but progress and development around every corner.
As we celebrate this year Independence Day, it’s imperative that we remind ourselves continue to adhere to preventive measures and take personal responsibility as ordered by our health workers to remain safe as nearly all the countries in the world battles against the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
It would be recalled that at independence in 1960, there was a groundswell of euphoria and hope in the Nigerian project. It is sobering that, 60 years later, the anticipated gains of nationhood envisaged by the founding fathers are still being awaited.
As the nation marks her 60th Independence anniversary of self government, I wish you all Happy Independence Day to all Imota Youths at home and abroad and entire Nigeria at large.
Happy celebration!
Com. Folarin Adegboyega Awal
Coordinator, NYCN Imota LCDA Branch
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