Nigerian Concord Newspaper
NIGERIA AT 66: LET US RENEW OUR HOPE IN BENUE
My dear people of Benue State,
As our beloved country marks 66 years of independence, I join millions of Nigerians at home and abroad in celebrating the courage, resilience and enduring hope of our people.
Independence Day should be more than a commemoration of our freedom from colonial rule. It should be a moment when we ask ourselves important questions about the society we are building and whether the promise of independence is being felt in the daily lives of our people.
For us in Benue State, those questions are particularly important.
Our people desire peace. Our farmers want to return to their farms without fear. Our displaced brothers and sisters want to return to their ancestral homes and rebuild their lives. Our young people want jobs and opportunities. Our entrepreneurs want an environment in which their businesses can grow. Our communities want roads, schools, healthcare and development that improve their lives.
These aspirations are neither excessive nor unrealistic. They are the legitimate expectations of a hardworking people.
I firmly believe that Benue can rise again. We are blessed with fertile land, abundant human capital and a resilient population. As the Food Basket of the Nation, agriculture must remain at the centre of our economic revival. But our farmers cannot produce food when they cannot safely access their farms.
That is why security must be treated as the foundation upon which every other aspect of development rests. Our displaced people deserve more than sympathy. They deserve the opportunity to return safely to their ancestral lands, rebuild their communities and resume their livelihoods.
Our young people must also be given reasons to believe in the future.
We must deliberately create an environment in which the private sector can thrive, businesses can expand and thousands of sustainable jobs can be created. Government must support enterprise through infrastructure, access to opportunities and appropriate incentives, while investing in the skills that will enable our young people to compete in a rapidly changing economy.
I envision a Benue where our local governments are empowered to function effectively and bring development closer to the people; where public resources are managed transparently and responsibly; where the rule of law is respected; and where fairness, equity and justice guide the conduct of government.
Leadership must never be about the glorification of an individual. Benue belongs to its people. Those entrusted with public office must therefore see themselves as servants of the people and custodians of a collective destiny.
At 66, Nigeria has travelled a long road, but the work of building the nation of our dreams remains unfinished.
I therefore urge the people of Benue not to surrender to despair. The difficulties of today must not extinguish our hope for tomorrow.
Let us continue to believe in the possibility of a peaceful, secure and prosperous Benue where farmers cultivate their lands without fear, businesses flourish, young people find meaningful opportunities, displaced families return home and every Benue person has a reason to look towards the future with confidence.
On this Independence Day, I renew my faith in Nigeria. I renew my faith in Benue. And above all, I renew my faith in the extraordinary resilience and capacity of our people.
A better Benue is possible, and together, we can build it.
May God bless the good people of Benue State.
May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Happy 66th Independence Anniversary!
Signed:
Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN.