Gov. Obiano's Speech On The 60th Independent Anniversary Of Nigeria

Ndi Anambra ekenem unu
1. Fellow citizens, our country is 60 years old today. That is something to celebrate. However, while our hearts are filled with joy, we shall mark this great milestone in silence. Indeed, we shall mark it in dignity and solemnity.
2. Fellow citizens, we shall not sing with our loudest voices when the world is silent. We cannot roll out the drums for celebration when the world is in deep grief. For Covid-19 has restricted our laughter; but it has not killed our joy. Covid-19 has shaken us with unimaginable fear; but it has not broken our spirit. So, fellow citizens, though we are not loud in our celebration today, our happiness is the size of the moon. We are thankful to God for guiding us in safety and peace in all that we have been through. And we join our fellow compatriots all over the world to wish Nigeria a “Happy Birthday!”
3. Fellow citizens, in the past 60 years, Nigeria has shown more resilience than the world could imagine. We have survived a brutal civil war and fought our way through shock-waves of repeated violence. We have survived years of military regime and swarm through oceans of poisoned politics. We are up against insurgency and violent clashes between herders and farmers and there is a loud clamour for self determination in the horizon. But Nigeria has triumphed through it all. And by the Grace of Almighty God, our dear country shall stand the test of time!
4. Coming closer home, Ndi Anambra, our dear state turned 29 years last August. Anyone who has followed the progress of this great state cannot but marvel at how our people have turned Anambra around from being the butt of jokes in the 90s to the star of the South East in the present day. We are the safest state in Nigeria. We have the best network of roads in the South East. Our children have rewarded our investment in education by winning the gold medal at the World Technovation Contest in the Silicon Valley in San Francisco in 2018. We have become a reference point in Agriculture in Nigeria. Construction work is at the concluding phase on the International Conference Center which has a capacity to sit 10,000 people. Work has since commenced at the Awka City Stadium. And with the progress of work at the Anambra International Airport in Umueri, our dear state will soon assume her rightful position as the hub for logistics and commerce in Nigeria. Indeed, umu nnem, after 29 years of finding our feet as a geopolitical entity, we have so much to be thankful for. We have so much to be proud of and so much to look forward to!
5. Now, I must quickly observe that our great state is fast evolving into a sprawling cosmopolitan state as more and more people heed our ‘Aku luo uno call.’ Development is growing at impressive pace and sooner than later, the empty spaces between Onitsha and Awka and Nnewi will be swallowed up by growing urbanization. Umu nnem, now is the time to begin to prepare for the Anambra of our dream. As has been repeatedly shown throughout history, every great civilization begins with the human being. For civilization is a product of the regeneration of the human mind, the human spirit and the human soul. We can only improve our environment if we improve the quality of our thoughts. So, we must begin to fine-tune the way we see the world, the way we interact among ourselves and the way we relate with people from other cultures outside our own. But even in all these, I have no doubt that our enterprising drive, our love for adventure and our communal spirit will unlock the future for the greater good of humanity.
6. Meanwhile, my Team and I are committed to exert more pressure on my Economic Blueprint to extract its maximum benefits for our people as my administration hits the final bend in the river before the next gubernatorial elections. We shall keep a good eye on the economic fundamentals and the basic pillars sustaining our society to ensure a kinder judgment of history and the overall well being of Ndi Anambra.
It is on this note that I wish you all a Happy Independent Anniversary.
Dalunu.
Willie Obiano