Some prominent Nigerians on Thursday challenged the country’s leaders to strive towards a purposeful leadership that would enable the country to hit its potential of becoming a great nation.
Some of them told NAN that the nation had remained on its knees since independence because its leaders were not focused.
Former Plateau governor, Chief Fidelis Tapgun, said that the nation has the potential to be great but was unable to attain it because it lacked the right leaders to pull it through.
“As a nation, we have every potential that a people need to be great.
“We have natural resources and quality human resources; all that remains is for our leaders to harness these potentialities, maximise them to optimum use and exploit them towards making Nigeria a land of opportunities for all.
“Check all the sectors, from the economy, law, sports and all, we have the manpower. The brain drain to various countries is a testimony to this.
“We also have oil, mineral resources, agricultural products and many other untapped areas. If we can tap half of these resources, we shall create jobs and exploit our resources to create a wonderful country we shall all be happy to live in,” he said.
Tapgun called on the leaders to initiate steps to curb corruption and plug holes through which resources were siphoned.
He said that such efforts would save money that would be deployed into projects that would better the lot of Nigerians.
In his Independence message, the Chief of Eggon in Nasarwa State, Bala Angbazo, called on Nigerians to pray for peace in the country, noting that such was key to any human growth.
He challenged the nation’s leaders to work towards national integration that would give a sense of equality and belonging to all constituents and make them proud to serve the country.
The chief said that Nigerians must be happy that the nation was still standing as one, in spite of various crises that included a civil war that lasted for more than three years.
Angazo urged the nation’s leaders to encourage Nigerians to see themselves as one by playing up the factors that unite them as a people.
“We must always seek common grounds; we must also strive to see ourselves as one irrespective of religious, tribal and political differences.
“We must also encourage our children in the families and communities to learn to accept each other; we must also encourage mutual respect so that no segment will feel that it is being treated as inferior,” he said.
Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau State, in his message, challenged Nigerians to ask themselves what they had done to make Nigeria better, and step up even more of such efforts to make Nigeria great.
The message, signed by the Director of Press Affairs, Mr Emmanuel Nanle, advised Plateau residents to see themselves as one and strive to protect each other by serving as each other’s keeper.
“Nigeria and Plateau belong to all of us. It is our duty to make it great and we should wait for no one, not even the government, to do it for us,” he said.
Lalong promised to offer quality leadership that would be a springboard towards the great Nigeria that would offer youths hope and happiness.
In her message, Hajia Halima Wada, the wife of the Kogi Governor, challenged women to pray fervently for a stable, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria with opportunities for all.
Halima urged women to pray for good governance and advised leaders to cherish the led by being compassionate.
“Leaders must show love and affection to all without betraying any sentiment that will send the signal that they are partisan,” she said.
She challenged Nigerians, especially the rich ones, to show affection to their poverty-stricken compatriots by initiating steps that would improve their living standards.
“Some of us have pet projects through which we reach the poor. We expect NGOs and rich individuals to do same. Such milk of kindness is good for the nation,” she said.
Also in Lokoja, some Nigerians called for more action from government to restore hope to poor Nigerians that had remained hopeless over time.
One such Nigerian, Bayo Aina, a wrist watch repairer, called for good roads and improved infrastructure that would make life worth living for the poor.
“I shall beg that more attention is paid to the rural roads. It is one sure way to help the rural dwellers and minimise the massive drift to the cities,” he said.
Another Lokoja resident, Felicia Anebo, called for more infrastructure but expressed regret that the available facilities did not match the nation’s population growth.
For Mohammed Aliyu, a teacher, the nation’s leaders should do more in the area of education.
“It is a shame that no Nigerian university ranks among the top 1,000 in world rankings, 55 years after independence.
“It is an indictment of all the nation’s leaders that such shame is with us and we must see it as a challenge,” he said.
He said that Nigeria’s claim to being the giant of Africa should be demonstrated by a leadership that was willing to invest in the future so that generations unborn would be proud to be called Nigerians.
In Minna, the Permanent Secretary in the Niger Ministry of Science and Technology, Alhaji Usman Umar, called for prayers for President Muhammadu Buhari as the nation marked its 55 years of independence.
He commended the efforts by the new leadership to rid the nation of corrupt tendencies.
Umar asked Nigerians to shun vices and anti-social behaviours that would paint the nation in bad light.
“We must see Nigeria as one and strive to make it a great place for all,” he said.
On his part, Mr Jibrin Musa, Chairman of the Nsarawa State chapter of the Judiciary Workers Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), said that the economy could only grow if workers’ salaries were paid on time.
“We have situations where salaries are delayed for months and even years. That kills purchasing power and breeds hopelessness and despondency,” he said.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark Independence Day, Mr Abashia Koto, Chairman, Akwanga Local Government in Nasarawa State, challenged leaders to fight against poverty, unemployment and insecurity.
“Leaders must shun tribalism and segregation along the lines of tribe, religion or politics. It is the only way to encourage the followership to see themselves as one.”
He cautioned against nepotism and risky behaviours, saying that leaders should rather inculcate the values of love, patriotism and other virtues worth emulating by all.
Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue, in his message, asked the people to always support their leaders.
He said there was no way leaders could succeed if government policies did not receive support and acceptance by the people that were usually the beneficiaries of such efforts.
