Gov Otu Tasks Individuals On Contributions To Nation Building

By Victor UDU 

Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State has charged country men and women to use the occasion of the 63rd independence anniversary for deep reflection on individual patriotic contribution towards nation building rather than an occasion for fanfare and media razzmatazz.

Presenting his goodwill message to mark the 63rd independence anniversary, His Excellency, Bassey Otu told Cross Riverians to" take a retrospective view and celebrate the arrests, intimidation, incarceration and other forms of human indignity heroes of conscience suffered to set Nigeria free from the shackles of colonialism".

He observed that "the continuous reminiscence of who we are under British and who we ought to be as an independent country leaves much on our heads to ponder and much on our hands to do in order to justify our independence".

Accordingly to him the anniversary should rather be the celebration of self -determination and independent thought and action.

He said the lowering of Britain's Union Jack and the hoisting of the green white green was a symbolic elevation of the consciousness of Nigerians to take their destiny in their hands.

He said the collective resolve and sacrifice made by people will make the country greater than what it was prior to the 1st October,1960 and urge all to put the country first in all considerations.

The governor called for solidarity, patience, resilience and love to get the economy back on track and assured that to consolidate on gains made so far there's the need to bridge the faults lines of ethnicity, crime, hate and rancour .