Nigeria @63: We Wasted 63 Years Of Finding Part Of Our Great Nation – Yakubu
…urges electorates to begin to look at antecedents of politicians seeking for elective office
By Simeon OSAJIE
A frontline Edo 2024 governorship aspirant, former Executive Chairman, Esan North-East Local Government Area Council and former Deputy Governorship Aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. John Yakubu has said that as Nigerians set to mark 63rd Anniversary of the country independence, the electorates should begin to look at the antecedents of politicians seeking for elective office, because according to him, we have wasted 63 years of finding party of our great nation.
Yakubu gave the advised during the pre-independence lecture topic: “Nigeria @ 63: Harnessing the Potentials in the Maritime Sector” organized by the Management and staff of Independence Television and Radio (ITV) delivered by former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr. Temisan at the Victor Uwaifo Creative Hub on Airport Road, Benin City.
In his good will message, the frontline Edo 2024 governorship aspirant, Hon. Yakubu appreciated ITV for chosen the topic and regretted that it is unfortunate that none of Edo State government official was present have done so well in this area.
Yakubu said he was a member of the Transition Committee of this present administration when they came on board in 2020 and was the chairman of the Infrastructure Sub-committee and I knew a lot about the Benin Seaport which has been refer to as Gelegele Seaport.
According to him, “The foundation has been laid, all the necessary documents has been signed. What we need in Edo is the willpower to continue in that direction when Governor Godwin Obaseki is out of power, because if that is not done, all that have being enumerated here today would just end up to nothing, because that is actually the gold mind for Edo State.
“But haven said that, I want to let us know that we have wasted 63 years, but we should not point fingers. We have wasted 63 years of finding part of this great nation. They gave us this nation 63 years ago but because of our greed, we have destroyed it, and we keep pointing and accusing on others when in actual fact we participated in the destruction of Nigeria, not foreigners.
“I want to appeal to us, going forward, we must begin to look at the antecedent of persons coming to tell us to ask for our votes, what they believe they can create; Eldorado they can create when actually in the past they never did. I think it is high time we begin to tell their integrity.
“What we must learn to do as a people – moving forward is searching the past, looking at the present, so that we can move forward by the grace of God as a people, because I tell you, until we practice what we preach, because most of you would not have the opportunity of holding the microphone I am holding but will come here to tell you to sermonize but will took a different thing entirely, that is the basic problem we have as a people.
“I want to appreciate ITV. This is the best thing of my listening to a lecturer telling me; laying a lot of emphasis on what we need to do and educating us as a people on how we can move forward in this direction. I have spent about three to four house today, honestly I am enriched.”
Earlier in his welcome address, Engr. Elvis Obaseki said the topic, “Nigeria @ 63, Harnessing The Potentials In The Maritime Sector” is very significant, noted that Nigeria have to look back at oil and gas, because we know that the only way we can get out from the quagmire we seems to be face with, is by thinking of other areas where Nigeria can breathe outside the oil and gas sector.
He said, the pre-independence lecture is to set the torn for our Independence day, and ITV has remain at the forefront being an independent platform to celebrate the independence of Nigeria by having a discourse of this nature. It would always get better every year.
According to him, “The Benin Port project has already come and it has come to stay. We should be thinking of ways of keen into such areas. Edo is practically shifting from being called ‘Civil Service State’. I don’t think Edo State is a civil servant state anymore.”
He thank the founder of ITV/Radio, Sir Chief Dr. Gabriel Osawaru Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin Kingdom for establishing ITV platform for management and staff of the station to celebrate the independence of Nigeria by having a discourse of this nature.
“I can tell us that the event committee particularly inviting some persons whose interest and ambition is tight to the future of our state. It is very apt to tell you that what our guest speaker would be putting on the table today, is some of the event we would look at especially when we are talking about globally in our economy,” he said.
