Nigeria At @61: Nigerian Citizens Can Govern Themselves, Understand Their Differences – Gov Bala
By Idris Khalid
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has expressed delight that shown to the world that its citizens are not only able to govern themselves, but are also able to understand their differences, respect each other’s values and unite themselves towards developing the country despite its diverse cultures.
He said however that Nigeria has in the process of its growth experienced a lot of turbulence in the last 61 years of its existence, such as the setbacks in the political arena which seriously affected the political and economic growth.
Mohammed, in a message marking the country’s 61st Independence Anniversary, noted that the long period of military involvement in the political spectrum of country had seriously retarded the evolution of democracy and its inherent benefits.
He explained that it is gladdening democracy has found its roots in the country, with its dividends manifested everywhere and the citizens happy, Bauchi has taken multi-dimensional approach to all the developmental projects which resulted in successes all round.
According to him, its in line with the mandate given to the government by the people that it is making efforts to provide the necessary infrastructure needed for the development of the state.
To this end, he stated, government has been constructing rural and urban roads network across the state, amounting to billions of Naira with some on-going, while most of them have been completed and put to use.
Governor Mohammed further explained that his administration has also executed several other projects in the areas of education, agriculture, health, housing and water supply, regretting however that Bauchi as part of the Northeast has for the last one decade faced with insurgency by Boko Haram.
“As a responsible and responsive Government, we have taken measures in collaboration with security agencies to protect the lives and property of our people by swiftly addressing any form of security challenge”, he said, assuring that security would continue to be top on its priority to maintain the relative peace being enjoyed by the people.
Unmindful of the downturn in the nation’s economy, Mohammed said, government has introduced the Kaura Economic empowerment Programme (KEEP) as palliative measures to cushion the effect of hardships being experienced by the people.
He therefore called on the people to continue to make sacrifices with a view to ensure that the country is put on the path of greatness, assuring that the present hardship being experienced is temporary, as the sooner government put its acts together, it would move out of them.
Mohammed said the anniversary is being celebrated annually to reflect on the struggle and sacrifice of the nation’s founding fathers as our heroes, and emulate them to ensure that their labour shall not be in vain.