The federal government has said the choice of a low-key 63rd independence anniversary celebration was informed by issues of bad governance and the challenging economic situation in the country.
Against this background, the government said it has refrained from inviting world leaders to the 1st October 2023 festivities.
The secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), George Akume, who disclosed this during a press briefing heralding the 63rd-anniversary celebration, said the nation and her citizens are going through serious economic hardships.
The theme of the anniversary is “Nigeria @ 63, Renewed Hope for Unity and Prosperity”.
The SGF said the decision to abstain from international leaders’ invitations starkly contrasts the previous inauguration ceremony where 53 world leaders were in attendance.
Akume also spoke on the ongoing investigation of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He said a special investigator had been diligently scrutinising the institution’s operations, adding that the findings would soon be made available to the public.
The SGF also acknowledged the role of governance in the nation’s struggles, expressing the government’s commitment to addressing these issues head-on.
He commended President Bola Tinubu’s impactful decision at the CBN, which significantly improved the capital market, an achievement deemed unprecedented in the past 15 years.
Akume said: “Low-keyed celebration has nothing to do with whether we’re not doing well. Economic times are hard, we are looking at it not just at the national level but also as a family. We have not invited world leaders. During the inauguration of the President, 53 world leaders were invited, so we have not invited any world leaders. The report of the investigator for CBN will soon be ready for the public.
“The government also has its own responsibility to ensure that a national interest is not undermined; the integrity of the national interest remains paramount. The low-key celebration has nothing to do with undermining this basic national interest. We are doing this celebration conscious of the fact that we are 63 years old but also, more importantly, conscious of the fact that economic times are hard as I clearly stated.
“Most of these problems confronting us are because of bad governance. The present government has confronted and is confronting these challenges. When President Bola Tinubu came on board, he made a very sound decision at the CBN, that singular act led to the massive improvement in the capital market, as experts have told us, it is something that has not happened in the past 15 years. We have a new team at the CBN and a special investigator has been in the CBN for some time now and the result will soon be released and Nigerians will know what really went on and what brought us to where we are today.
“We have repeatedly said that the fuel subsidy regime is a scam, but the courage to confront it was not there until this government came to power. Some of these things will be in the report that Nigerians will soon see, things really went bad. Now, there is nowhere in the world where you have a unified tax regime, double taxation was the order of the day in the previous administration and it was so bad”, he said.
Akume said the president had given his approval for the 63rd anniversary to be low-key in line with the present economic realities.
Speaking further the SGF said: “We have all agreed to live in a united, peaceful, prosperous country, despite our diversity. Without these, no nation can move forward. Government is making sure our national interest is not undermined”.
Akume further stated that the celebration is particularly important at this time having witnessed an unbroken democratic record since 1999 as well as the seamless, successful, and peaceful presidential transition programme from one government to another.
“Despite political tremors and a wave of coups in some parts of the ECOWAS sub-region, Nigerians have fully embraced democracy with its core values and practices as the best form of governance. Democracy affords the citizens the opportunity through elective structures and processes to effectively participate in the affairs of their country”, he said.
The programmes lined up for the event, according to Akume, include an anniversary symposium/public Lecture, on Thursday, 28 September 2023, at State House Conference Centre at 10 am; a lecture on Friday, 29 September 2023, at the National Mosque Conference Centre by 10 am and Juma’at Prayer at the National Mosque at 1 pm.
He also stated that there would be a presidential broadcast on Sunday, 1st October 2023, at 7 am; an inter-denominational church service on Sunday, 1st October 2023, at the National Christian Centre at 10:00 am, and a military parade on Monday, 2 October 2023 at the Presidential Villa, at 9 am.
