AS Nigerians prepare for the golden jubilee Independence celebration of the  country this year, anationalist and elder statesman, Ambassador Yusuff Maitama Sule, has said that  the celebration should not just be a merrymaking event but a time for stock taking, cultural tourism rebirth and sober reflection on how to harmonise human and natural potential

in Nigeria to develop the lot of the people.

Ambassador Sule, who made the disclosure at a round table discussion with the board of trustees of Peace,Arts,Culture and Tourism(PACT) Foundation and journalists in Abuja recently, explained that this year’s  independence anniversary is significant because it falls at about the same time with other African countries. Nigeria is leading  other countries in celebrating the golden jubilee of their independence.

According to Ambassador Sule: “This is the time for us to look into the past, adjust the present and plan for the future. The purpose of history is to know the past, so that you may adjust the present and plan ahead. And that is why I want the members of the board of trustees to take this celebration, which has been started by All States Travels, a private organisation, to take stock and hope that the government will show interest in it.

“What were we when we started? What are we today? What are we getting together for? These are some of the things we should ponder.

“The days of our founding fathers were glorious ones; the days of Awolowo, Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa and Sardauna, those were the days when these great Nigerians worked passionately for Nigeria.

“They put the interest of Nigeria above their personal interest. Those were days when great men went to politics to serve and not to be served, to give but not to take.

“Nigerians leaders, our founding fathers, in spite of their political differences, and because of the interest in Nigeria, accommodated and respected one another. Those great Nigerians had great dreams for Nigeria and indeed for Africa. They dreamt that, one day, Nigeria would be a great, peaceful and united  country where everyone would be our brother’s keeper, a place where people would respect their elders and constituted authority; a country where there would be morality, a country where there would be peace and tranquility. A country where there must be honesty. That was the dream of our forefathers. We may now ask ourselves; has the dreams of our forefathers been realised?”

He lamented that current happenings in Nigeria, showed traits which were hitherto unheard of among Nigerians, adding the family institution had  broken down, the respect for elders and constituted authorities, which used to be a cultural standard in the society, have gone to the dogs.

“In short, today, there is vacuity in our philosophy, insecurity and chaos in politics, immorality in society, corruption in the economy, frustration  and lack of creativity in literature. We were not like that before. Our forefathers did not think that we would be like this.

“I could still recall a report in 1962, which said that three developing countries within 15 and 20 years would join the industrialised nations of the world. Those three countries were India, Brazil and Nigeria. India has made it because India today is a nuclear power. In the field of computer and technology, India is at the forefront. India produce more doctors than any other country in the world today. And it is the fastest growing economy in the world, second to China. So India has made it.

“Brazil too has make it because Brazil is building ships, manufacturing planes, cars and so on. Also, Brazil and Nigeria established their defence industry the same year but our defence industry in Kaduna today is producing only furniture. O ma se o (What a pity!)

“Something has gone wrong; we have to do something about it; we have to revisit and revive our  glorious past. So, there is the need for us to stock take and harmonise things during this golden independence anniversary to make a change that would actualise the dreams of our founding fathers.”

He however, tasked Nigerians at home and at abroad to use the 50 years independence anniversary as a rallying point to re-vatilise, reposition and revamp Nigeria from the years of wastefulness for a generational change.

Meanwhile, the All States Travels team and consultants on the Nigeria initiative projects has intensified work on the Nigeria Village Square, where the events will host millions of Nigerians, tourists and visitors during the jubilee celebration.

According to the marketing consultant of the event, Mr. Ayo Olumoko, “we are frantically putting logistics in place to make the celebration of Nigeria golden jubillee a unique one with the private sector taking active part.”

He said that the exhibition, which would be in two categories, would be giving our a N4million cash gift to winners in the senior category, while winners in the junior category would go home with N1 million.