Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo- Olu, called off the ceremonial Independence Day parades yesterday and opted for a low-key commemoration of the nation’s 60th Independence anniversary. The governor, however, created a simple but memorable commemorative event for selected school children to give them the understanding of the significance of the anniversary. Sanwo-Olu, who was joined by his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, hosted 60 primary school pupils drawn from various localities across Lagos for a noholds- barred conversation about the Independence Day.
The event was held at the State House in Marina – a short distance from the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), where the instrument of independence was handed over to Nigeria’s founding fathers on 1st October, 1960. The event tagged: “Nigeria’s Future Diamonds”, was organised with an objective to inspire patriotism among children and to give them orientation on civic duties required towards building the nation of their dreams.
The pupils listened with rapt attention, as Sanwo-Olu delved into the history, taking them on an elaborate lecture on the nation’s pre-independence struggles and the roles played by each of the Nigeria’s founding fathers who fought for country’s freedom from colonialists.
The governor told them that each stanza of the national anthem was a reminder to every citizen to sustain the vision of a united and prosperous Nigeria, stressing that the collective labour of the nation’s past heroes would be in vain if future leaders failed to uphold the values. He said: “Today makes it 60 years when our country, Nigeria, became independent from colonial rule.
The freedom we are enjoying today did not come by accident; it was made possible by the collective efforts and labour of the likes of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Sir Ahmadu Bello of blessed memory, and Chief Anthony Enahoro, among many others. They were the ones who negotiated with the British and liberated us from colonial rule in 1960.
