As part of deliberate and comprehensive efforts by the Nigeria Police Force to ensure a
hitch-free Independence Day Anniversary Celebration, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP MD Abubakar, ,has placed officers and men of the Nigeria Police, as well as other special
operatives, on red alert nation-wide, the Force Headquarters said Sunday
“The IGP has specifically directed all Zonal Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, Command Commissioners of Police, including the Maritime Command to ensure adequate and effective deployment of all operational tools and manpower within their Commands, and to pay special attention to Shopping Malls, Public Parks and Beaches, Highways and other critical infrastructures and sensitive areas in order to guarantee the safety and well being of the citizenry. He assured Nigerians that the Police will do everything within available resources to discharge their constitutional and statutory responsibilities of providing safe and secure environment for all, particularly during this period of Independence Anniversary.
Force Spokesman ,Frank Mba said “The IG has equally, on behalf of Officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force, heartily congratulated His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR, President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria and the entire people of Nigeria, on the nation’s 53rd Independent Anniversary. He saluted the courage and determination of Nigerians to build and sustain a strong, indivisible and virile nation, in spite of all confronting circumstances. The IGP called on Nigerians to put their differences aside and courageously continue to support the Police in the face of current security challenges confronting the country. He enjoined all well meaning persons and groups to cooperate with the Force by providing useful information, especially with regards to the on-going fight against terrorism and other forms of crimes and criminalities, for the mutual benefit and collective interest of the citizenry.
Also,Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole says Nigeria has cause to celebrate in spite of the challenges facing the nation.
He stated this yesterday at the Interdenominational Thanksgiving Service held at the St Paul’s Catholic Church< Benin City, to mark Nigeria’s 53rdIndependence anniversary.
According to the Governor, ”we celebrate independence not because we do not have challenges, just like you celebrate your birthday, not that you have become the richest man. Nigeria has problems. Every country has its own problems and our task is to remind ourselves that Nigeria is for all of us to build”.
He said “you cannot come from another part of the world to build Nigeria and if give up on Nigeria, you don’t have another country. All of us must rededicate ourselves and I do not believe that Nigeria has no future. The fact that leaders have failed does not mean that everybody has failed, it does not mean that there are no honest and responsible people in the
country”.
He said our young people must recognize that America and what the UK have their own challenges. “There are people sleeping on the streets of New York, there are homeless people there”, he said.
“Those who think by lamenting and wallowing in self pity would change things, nothing changes when you perfect how to cry, things change when you do things differently”, he said.
He urged the youths to refuse to copy the shortcomings of the elders, stressing that the elders should re-examine themselves as we celebrate independence.
Earlier, in his homily, the ArchBishop of the Catholic Diocese of Benin, Most Rev Father Augustine Akubeze said the day has been set aside as a day of prayers and thanksgiving by churches for the country.
He said “this call for prayers must be taken seriously by all of us. While we may lament that the country may not be moving as we may have wished, it will not be right not to count our blessings. In the midst of all, we should give thanks to God.
“Those who say why should we pray and give thanks have no faith, because if not for God, we will all have perished by now.”
The Governor later led other dignitaries in thanksgiving.
