Independence Day: Kwankwaso proffer solution to challenges confronting Nigeria

Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said the occasion of the 58th Independence anniversary of the Nigeria would have been that of pomp and merriment but for the humongous perils confronting the country at the moment which call for sober reflections and deep introspection.

Kwankwaso, in an open letter, yesterday titled “letter to Nigerians” said, there has never been a time the country has ever been this divided along tribal and religious lines as this period .

According to him, the country’s diversity which should have been the source of strength is now what is being exploited to tear us apart.

Kwankwaso noted that “Nigerians no longer see themselves as one bound together by common ideals as a nation. Reason is simple. When they cannot provide good and compassionate leadership, they exploit our weaknesses for escape and perpetuation.”

In the letter, Kwankwaso said,”Dear Nigerian, as you read this, there is a likelihood that you don’t know where your next meal is coming from or probably, you know someone like that or you have your hands full of request from folks who may likely sleep in hunger tonight if help does not come.

“It is incontrovertible that millions of our compatriots can no longer feed themselves because of biting hunger and excruciating poverty in the country. Before you are done reading this in 4 minutes, at least, 28 more persons in our country would have entered into extreme poverty. Before this time tomorrow, over 10,000 more would become extremely poor.

” I am sure you are not proud of this, I am not too. It is not your fault that our beloved nation has become the headquarters of poverty in the world. I know you’re angry and you have the right to be.

“Dear Nigerian, the northeast is now a pathetic shadow of its glorious past due to Boko Haram insurgency which is still thriving because of the insincerity of our leaders in giving the insurgents a bloodied nose.

“Obviously, some top people are profiting from the escalated war. Did you know the number of our gallant officers and men of the Nigerian military who are daily killed by the insurgents that you don’t get to read in the media? I have been a minister of defense in this same country; I know the strength of our security agencies, they are not cowards, and they are not lazy. Compassion from leaders only seems to be in short supply, same goes with those justifying the killings.

” Fact, it is not your job to protect yourself, that is the job of your government.”

The presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stressed further that ” I feel troubled and sad reminding you that unemployment has now skyrocketed beyond what it used to be in the past. It’s now a ticking time bomb waiting for a little spark before it explodes.

“If you have a job, chances are high that you have other 20 compatriots, relatives and friends, who have no jobs and thus will be forced to be your dependents. How does growth happen in such a dire circumstance? Unfortunately, that’s the gory situation the country is in today.


But I assure you, by this time next October when the country will be celebrating its 59th Independence anniversary; the trajectory would have changed substantially.

“In just a little while, several millions of our compatriots will no longer beg for food or depend on handouts to survive. It’s a solemn promise. Food sufficiency is an achievable goal. Together we shall banish hunger in the land and restore the self-esteem of every man.”

Kwankwaso, however, assured Nigerians that he would make the country a safe and secured place and return peace and serenity to all the trouble spots in the land, if he is elected as the president of the country .

He said,” Our middle belt people will no longer have to flee their land seeking refuge elsewhere, rural bandits will no longer have a field day killing our brothers and sisters in Zamfara State and in any other part of the country as the case may be.

“Our government will protect the defenseless. We will ensure that every act of evil committed by anyone is met with adequate punishment as spelt out by the country’s Constitution. We will guarantee you that insurgents will have no safe haven to perpetrate their heinous crime against our people again. Never again!

“Dear Nigerian, I pledge solemnly that we shall lift many out of the unemployment loop through a deliberate and intentional job creation scheme that will be aggressively pursued. It’s doable. It’s a must.

“Dear Nigerian, I assure you, we shall unify the country by returning it to every Nigerian who will now have a sense of inclusiveness in the Nigerian federation.

“I will be a Nigerian President responsible and responsive to every Nigerian. With all sincerity, I assure you that every Nigerian will have a sense of pride in actually being a Nigerian living in the country or outside its shores.”

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