Nigeria At 59: Youth Group Urges Government To Respect the Rule of Law

  In her Independence Day Address, the Leadership of Ondo State Youth Network had urged the Nigerian Government to learn to obey court orders and respect the rights and dignity of her citizens. Also in the statement jointly signed by the Coordinator and Public Relations officer of the Network, the group called for continuous collaboration and partnership amongst the citizens towards achieving the greater Nigerian dream. Below is the Full Statement Dear Nigerians, Today, October 1st, 2019, Nigeria marks her 59th Independence Day anniversary; a memory of the beautiful moment when we gained freedom from British rule through the efforts of our heroes past that fought so hard for what we enjoy today. The Independence Day is an auspicious occasion for us as a Nation; it was indeed a blissful memory for our parents who witnessed the lowering of the Union Jack and hoisting of the Green White Green flag and well appreciated by many of us, Nigerian youths who were born long after independence, however values the essence of freedom. Through the early years of our freedom, we experienced very turbulent moments of bloody coups, civil wars, social unrest amongst many other socio-politico crises that permeated our dear country, stalling the desired progress envisaged for a nation at 59. However since the year 1999, we have enjoyed 20years of uninterrupted democracy with some levels of progress recorded so far and a long journey to the future ahead of us. As a group, Ondo State Youth Network share in the burden and the desire of the people to see nationwide accelerated development through effective and accountable governance across all levels of government. There is a need for fiscal reforms and easier regulations for startup entrepreneurs, creation of sustainable jobs for the teeming youth population, improved power generation and distribution, better rural-urban road network that ensures our locally made products and agricultural produce make their way to the bigger markets and of course sustainable peace and security that ensure we move around without the fear of attacks or kidnapping. We desire a leadership that bears this same burden; who understand and share in the plight of the masses and wields enough political will and resolve to see that every Nigerian smile always through wealth creation and sustainable peace. There is a need for the present leadership of the nation to be committed to the fundamental objective of an open society; the pursuit of freedom, security and prosperity for the Nigerian people and respect of the rule of Law. We vehemently frown against the continuous disobedience of court orders by the government of the day as it is important for government to respect citizens’ rights and dignity should we desire to achieve a free society where the citizens have trust in her leadership to do what is right and just and where democracy can be said to be thriving. As a people, we must continue to work in unity, confidently and faithfully, to ensure that the nation’s full potentials are realized to the fullest; that our desires are translated into reality; and that our goals are achieved. With an estimated over 200million Nigerians, a multicultural and multilingual nation of diverse peoples and culture and more than 250 distinct languages and ethnic groups strongly united in its’ diversity, there is indeed a certainty that there is hope behind this despair, joy after this turbulent moments and indeed abundant light at the end of this tunnel. Nigeria has abundant human and material resources to excel amongst the comity of nations; we must therefore resolve as a people to imbibe the spirit of collaboration, unity and partnership like we exhibits in the game of football into our daily national life: one people, united by a common resolve in the pursuit of one common national interest. In unity we shall surely achieve a country greater than yesterday and today! God Bless Ondo State Youth Network God Bless the Sunshine State of Ondo God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Signed; Com. Oluwatosin V. Akinbulumo Public Relation Officer, Ondo State Youth Network OSYN Com. Obatola Jonathan Coordinator, Ondo State Youth Network OSYN.