President Olusegun Obasanjo Independence Speech

My dear fellow Nigerians, I address you today as we celebrate our 45th independence anniversary with gratitude to God and full appreciation of the resilience, patriotism, and commitment of the Nigerian people.  Over the years, our country has been through a lot of contradictions, challenges, conflicts, and temptations.  We have seen trust betrayed and opportunities mortgaged.  We have seen hopes dashed and steady steps to progress compromised. 

What has been good and appreciated by all persons of goodwill is that we have emerged from all these tribulations stronger, more united, more focused, and more committed to repositioning our country for peace, stability, security, growth, sustainable development and democracy.  More importantly, in spite of the various challenges that we have faced, the sanctity of the Nigerian state has remained intact and strong.  We have steadily and collectively rededicated ourselves to the unity and progress of Nigeria.  The burning desire to build a nation where no one is oppressed and where opportunities abound for our people to reach the highest points of their creative and productive abilities has remained as strong as ever.

We have collectively committed to reform to make our today better than our yesterday and our tomorrow even more comfortable for our children and ourselves.  We have challenged opportunistic tendencies, corruption, mismanagement, and bad leadership.  We have also taken available opportunities to discuss the problems and options for progress in our country just as we have resolved to overcome conflicts and divisions within and between our communities.  What these and more have done for us is that we are collectively building a better and stronger country.

It is true that the reform process has precipitated pains in some constituencies.  No one ever said that reform for the better was going to be pain-free.  But it does not help matters for us to spend valuable time complaining and perhaps finding ways to undermine the reform process even when positive results have started to show.  The reforms are meant to strengthen the foundations of our economy and society, create jobs, wealth, enhance productivity, efficient management of resources and socio-economic progress.  They are not designed to punish any individual or group.  

As a Government, we are determined to see them through.  Those who had become used to cheap money with little or no work, the sort of attitude that piled up billions of dollars in local and foreign debt that almost prostrated the country, would find it worthwhile to adjust their styles and methods of operations.  The simple reason is that we have opted for the efficient management of resources and promotion of socio-economic and political progress.  

Today, we have zero tolerance for waste, corruption, indolence and social rascality.  This is the only way to lay the foundation for a new Nigeria as a country with a new image, new focus, new determination, new values and new purpose.

Let me also state very clearly that we are not oblivious to some of the genuine complaints among some Nigerians.  In each case, we have responded fairly and rapidly.  Of course, we must always appreciate the fact that the process of change and democratic consolidation requires that at the levels of the individual, family, community and nation, we must find time to pause, take a look at the past, our present and the future that we have mapped out and take critical decisions on how we plan to reach our destination.  

Nigeria is not yet where she should be in terms of development but what we are sure of is that the road map is there and it is clear.  Let me enjoin all Nigerians to look at the positive side, to learn to think positive and long-term, to eschew bitterness and negative thinking, and to join hands to move away from those attitudes that got us nowhere, compromised our collective dignity and integrity, and subverted our march towards growth, development and democracy in the past.

God has placed before us another chance to come together, plan together, work together and make progress together.  Let us not fail to take advantage of this God-given opportunity by holding on tight to old ideas, old habits, old and negative attitudes, old bitterness and prejudices, and unprogressive ways.

We must give gratitude to God that the sacrifices we have made to move our country forward are yielding results.  In the areas of reform, from privatisation and commercialization of inefficient enterprises through the reform of the administration of justice and institutional reforms to the war on corruption and promotion of sectoral reorganization for increased productivity, we are seeing unprecedented progress.

Yes, we must admit that the reform is yet to sink deep into other levels of governance though there is an increasing awareness of how important this is to the larger picture.  The recent debt relief granted to Nigeria by the Paris Club was clear evidence of support and appreciation of our efforts in Nigeria.

We must remain on that path.  The renewed and robust interest of investors and tourists in Nigeria is also evidence of appreciation that we are doing the right thing and that our country is a much better place today even as we continue to strive to do much better.  Once again, with our improved image, Nigeria has become a preferred investor destination. 

Let us take advantage of this favourable situation to become more productive for domestic and export markets thereby diversifying our economy, enhancing our revenue earning sources and strengthening our security and stability.  The time has come to focus on diversification, new technology, new production techniques, intensive export drive, and increased presence in foreign markets for our home-made products.  The Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) is being re-engineered and repositioned to provide all necessary support in this regard.

We must commend ourselves and thank God that our democracy is getting more consolidated.  We have broken the jinx of instability and regime turnover.

We owe it to history and to the nation to defend and protect our democratic process.  The quality of political debates all over the country is fully reflective of growing commitment to democratic practice, belief in dialogue and accommodation instead of violence, and the expansion of democratic spaces for political practice.  Indeed, from communities, local governments and the states to the national level, there is evidence of growing maturity in our political consciousness and democratic practice. 

Democracy admits of dissent, protest, marches, rallies and demonstrations.  However, true democracy ensures that these are done responsibly and peacefully without violence, destruction or even unduly disturbing any citizen and with the guidance and control of law enforcement agencies.  This, for instance, is what Labour and Civil Society organizations that have participated in the recent marches have done.  

Peaceful rallies are replacing strikes and violent demonstrations of the past.  This is a welcome development and it is an indication that our democracy is maturing.  I commend the leaders of those rallies and the police while once again expressing my condolence to the families of those who tragically died in the process and to their respective organizations, the Vanguard Newspapers and the Civil Liberties Organisation.

It is relevant and important to note that there is still a substantial level of subsidy in the petroleum products supplied to the domestic market today in spite of the recent price adjustments.  However, what is important at this point in time is to ensure that continued rising price in the international market of crude oil does not continue to translate to further price increases of products at the pump.  For this reason Government has directed PPPRA, NNPC and other stakeholders to work out the Modulator Mechanism that will maintain and sustain current pump price level until the end of 2006 no matter what happens in the international oil market.

However in the event that market factors bring a drop to crude oil prices such that domestic product prices could be maintained at levels lower than the Modulator band, such downward adjustment should be reflected. 

Through on-going discussions with Labour, Government will work out some adjustments in allowances to cushion the effect of increased fuel price.

In spite of the loud noises made by a minority in certain quarters, this is a listening and caring government.  But we cannot be misled, intimidated,

tele-guided, compromised or pressured to take immature or populist decisions with no lasting effects.  That will be tantamount to postponing the evil day or cutting our nose to spite our face.  We have no plans of abandoning the path of reform or succumbing to the opportunistic pronouncements of a few at the expense of the Nigerian people and nation.  We remain open to positive suggestions, dialogue and rational discourses on the nature and future of our society.  We will not be derailed nor diverted by the unscrupulous ones.

At the international level, Nigeria has made excellent progress.  Aside from chairing the Commonwealth and the African Union, the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee and the African Peer Review Mechanism, we have built and maintained excellent relations with donors, our development partners and multilateral organisations.  We have reinvigorated our bilateral relations with nations of the world and we remain important at the United Nations. 

We have continued to show good leadership in ECOWAS. We remain committed to providing required assistance in areas of conflict resolution and peacekeeping, and support for democratic initiatives.  We have opened new paths to cooperation, trade and cultural exchanges with the Caribbean while strengthening our relations with South America.  These developments are bound to improve bilateral relations, increase trade, and expand people-to-people contacts.  The overall result for us will include goodwill towards Nigeria and Nigerians, increased tourism, foreign exchange earnings, wealth and job creation through new investments.  I urge all Nigerians, especially the private sector to take advantage of the solid spade work done by the Federal Government on the foreign relations front.

Let me touch on the pensions in the public service. With the Contributory Pension Scheme fairly in place and the current year’s pensions being substantially paid as and when due, we are turning attention to arrears of pensions as at 31 December 2004.  Within the next few weeks, Government will announce its plan for dealing with all the arrears of pensions.  From now on, we will ensure that no arrears accumulate again. For the fruits of our labour and sacrifices to satisfy our collective quest for peace, harmony, tolerance, growth, development and democracy, we must all re-dedicate ourselves to the cause of Nigeria.

Nigerians must be united not only by a common purpose, but also by common values- duty, integrity, honour, love, hope, morality, progress, courage, patriotism, nationalism, industry, service, prudence, fear of God and responsibility.  Nigeria needs to be served and to be saved not only by words but also nurtured by firm, patriotic, courageous and committed action devoid of self and selfish interests.  It is only in this way that we can give ourselves and the world a new image of Nigeria and Africa that is sorely needed.  We must all be mindful, as we move along the curve of history into the twilight of our lives, what the future would say and write about us in truth.  We must aim to be regarded as part of a “service and builder generation” that made significant contribution to a new and great Nigeria.

This is a good point to talk about security.  While I commend the police and other law enforcement agencies for the wonderful work that they have been doing, let me re-emphasise the fact that the full support of all

Nigerians and various communities are required to eliminate all forms of crime from our society.  It has to be a collective commitment and struggle because the criminals live and operate within the communities.

Like corruption, we must all identify crime as an obstacle to peace, progress and development that must be totally removed from our midst.

I know that we all want a stable, united, peaceful and prosperous democratic nation.  But how do we build and nurture such a nation?  Firstly, we must be ready to accept our mistakes and decide to move away from the errors and failings of the past. 

Some of us are still in denial and some even say openly that previous repressive dictatorships were good for Nigeria.  Such unfortunate perspectives hardly help the cause of nation-building and democratisation.  Secondly, we must commit fully to reform.  There can be no room for half-hearted commitment to change and reform for the better.

Unfortunately, there are some that still believe that the reform agenda would be temporary and they are waiting for when they can return to “business as usual.” 

Nigerians must resist such negative dispositions, begin to own the reform process and collectively defend their today and tomorrow.  Thirdly, we must isolate and expose those obstacles to peace, development, democracy and progress as we have done through the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS). Then we must do away with those attitudes, language, perception, behaviours, dispositions, and modes of political and social action that have become outdated, ineffective, and time-wasting.  We all need to join hands to truly generate and maintain a new momentum that will support and guide the process of reform and change.  A lot of the perceptions that the world has about us as a country are provided by Nigerians, at times, in their unguarded statements, tendency to exaggerate issues, dissemination of half-truths and untruths, denigration of our time-honoured values, and refusal to stand and speak for the country. 

Take a look at the great nations of the world, dissent is accommodated, protest is allowed but you will not find their media, scholars, activists, and prominent citizens relishing in running down their nations.

Fellow Nigerians, if we do not decide to build and nurture a new image, build and sustain a new Nigeria, and create for ourselves an image that is different from the past in word and action, no one will do it for us.  At 45, we are no longer a young nation by African standards and we cannot continue to allow our resources, hopes, aspirations, faith, and achievements to be mortgaged or squandered by just a few Nigerians.

The struggle is, however, that of the people and their collective resolve to terminate indiscipline, inefficiency, waste, corruption, irresponsibility, rascality and the celebration of mediocrity and opportunism. 

This Administration is totally committed to providing all Nigerians with the support to engage in this focused, purposeful, progressive and patriotic struggle to build a new Nigeria. 

I urge you all to support Government initiatives, private efforts, and to see this as “our struggle and commitment” and not just that of the Government.

At this point, I must once again thank all Nigerians who have shown steadfastness, support and belief in Nigeria.  God loves our country and loves us.  We must not do anything to depreciate the love of God.  But we must do everything to appreciate our achievements and to sustain a culture of inclusion, tolerance, accommodation, and democratic engagements.  Our country has been blessed in several ways but we have under-utilised the blessings of God.  It is time for us to work harder and work together to reposition our country for the greatness she rightly deserves.

Finally, let me restate our commitment to moving Nigeria forward.  I assure you all that we will spare no effort to improve the lot of Nigerians.  We are moving away from the past, building new structures, and consolidating new ways of doing things.  We will continue to encourage dialogue and debate within communities and support democratic reforms. 

We will continue to encourage our people to be more productive and industrious and we shall continue to create the appropriate enabling environment for the fulfilment of their aspirations.  But such dispositions to ensure the nurturing of development and the sustenance of democracy must and should not be confused with, or taken for weakness.  Our resolve to fight corruption, waste, inefficiency, ineffectiveness, and unpatriotic attitudes remain undiluted.  Let no one test our resolve to defend the territorial integrity, security, credibility and unity of Nigeria. 

No price is too great to be paid for peace and national unity.  We shall continue to work hard to contain the enemies of democracy, agents of instability, and associates of undemocratic conducts.

Nigeria is growing and moving forward.  We shall, together, repair the image of Nigeria and make our dear country great again.  I wish us all very happy independence celebrations.

May God continue to bless Nigeria, Thank you.