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We have a variety of ill-health afflictions, ignorance, and lack the ability to domesticate our environment for the service of our people. We are yet to benefit maximally from research and development, and from science and technology. Recent events have shown that we cannot take the unity of our country for granted. We see a new challenge in conquering new suspicious and demolishing the barriers of injustice and mutual distrust and antagonism. We must now replace clashes among faiths with faith in our nation. We must now represent the nation as an indivisible patrimony founded on justice, fairness and equity for all persons who live within our borders.
And yet, we need to recognise the local peculiarities and divergent sensibilities that give us our unique strength and appeal. There is work to be done in evolving a system of governance that recognises and accommodates these differences in a harmonious commonwealth. In this commonwealth, it ought to be possible for every Nigerian to pursue his faith while keeping faith with the nation and with one another.
There is also work to do in the evolution of a stable family life and values, and in ensuring that the Nigerian family is built on core values that will form the bedrock of the future society. We must showcase the ideals of family life and be models of family values.
Our approach to economic development must be modern, focused and in tune with the global trend. At the same, we need to remain sensitive to the reality that we are still an African society in which the majority of the people and communities live under severe deprivations and afflictions that are no fault of theirs. The state needs to combine a definite economic focus with a sense of compassion and justice towards all those who are unfortunately alienated from the fruits of their land.
What we have said so far means that the nation is faced with a huge challenge. Because there is so much work left undone, we doubt whether any of us can afford to be in retirement, in the real sense. For as long as our people are held hostage by controllable socio-economic forces, we cannot afford to be indifferent to the ravages of poverty in all its dimensions and ramifications. To meet the expectations of the majority of our people, and to open up new vistas of economic opportunity so that the aspirations of Nigerians can stand a fair chance of being fulfilled in a lifetime, there must be a truly committed leadership in a democratic Nigeria.
Democracy opens new vistas and opportunities. We should use the opportunities it offers to correct past mistakes not to blunder anew. At no other time in our history and the challenges of national self-renewal and re-definition more urgent and desirable than now. Elections for mandate renewal are around the corner. I believe that it is the quality of leadership which emerges from the imminent election that will determine whether the nation will survive in democratic governance, so as to face the critical challenges that lie ahead of over 125 million Nigerians and those abroad who look up for the enabling environment and encouragement to return home.
On our part, the thought that the action and utterances of politicians could exacerbate current tensions remains an abiding fear. This fear is increased by our own greater fear that we may, unconsciously, by subjecting our fragile political economy and society to pressures of terminal instability. We have tottered at the brink for far too long, and for that long have been prayerful lucky. But no nation can base its survival and development on luck and prayers alone while its leadership fritters away every available opportunity for success and concrete achievement.
The 2003 election offers perhaps, the unique opportunity for Nigeria to use the democratic process to mend its ways and squarely and courageously face the challenges of development. Whether we aspire to lead or to follow, it is these issues that must continue to agitate our minds. The present generation of Nigerians can only ignore these challenges to the peril of the nation.
The challenges are above party, ethnic arithmetic and above personal advantages. Our primary concern in these matters must remain the survival of the country and the welfare of ordinary Nigerians.
It is from Allah and from them that all power derives. It is to them that all those who wield or have wielded power and authority must return to account for their stewardship. And when our work is done, it is to them that we must return as fellow citizens and compatriots.
I will not miss the opportunity of this distinguished audience to openly acknowledge the value, to us personally and to the regime, which I had the providence of leading and the assistance of many Nigerians. First it is the group of young men who worked, even when at various points our actions to their promptings ought to have discouraged them, in organising the national symposium on the subject matters of the interpretation and perspectives of the reforms which our regime undertook between 1985 and 1993.
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KUSHERKI
It is not the critic who counts; nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion; who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumphs of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat...THEODORE ROOSEVELT 1910
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Comments
soapstone carvings handcrafts business samuel omweri | Feb 4th, 2007
Dear sir/ madam,
We are non prifit organisation found here in kenya ,we are making soapastone handcraft just direct from the source .
from this business we trading locally here in ours homes ,it is wher weare gitting our daily needs and surporting ourchildren to go to school
now we are looking for assistance to get market to sell these product, we also need partnership, represetatives, agents, and importers
here below here is our www.geocities.com/jrfkebee.
you can see our photo sample and other information
you are to ask where you dont see.
Thanks
secretary '
Samuel
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