By Marie-Therese Nanlong

As Nigeria celebrates its 63rd anniversary, citizens have been called upon to reflect on areas where democratic institutions can further be enhanced to create a level playing field for all political parties, ensure equitable resource distribution across board, promote gender equity, combat corruption and advance the inalienable right of every citizen.

Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang who said this in a State-wide broadcast on Sunday to mark the Independence Day also urged citizens to be committed to the ideals of making the State and nation great.

According to him, “It is with utmost pleasure and humility that I address you on this special day, which marks Nigeria’s 63rd Independence Anniversary. With profound gratitude to the Almighty God, we come together on this special day to reflect on our past, celebrate our present achievements, and collectively envision a brighter future for our beloved nation. On this day, we must express appreciation to our founding fathers for their great sacrifices and the patriotism they demonstrated on our journey to independence.

“The 2023 independence anniversary speech is even more special for me, being my first, since you gave me the privilege of serving as your Governor. Once again, thank you Plateau for your collective decision to entrust me with the leadership of our dear State at this crucial time in our history… Let me use this historic day to reaffirm my commitment towards fulfilling the social contract I have signed with you when I took the oath of office.  My passion and dedication, to enhance peace, security, and entrench good governance for the betterment of our citizens, remains unwavering.

“Irrespective of the challenges we face, we must stick together, look beyond the horizon, towards building a prosperous State and nation. We are certainly not where we ought to be! Just like our beautiful State, Nigeria is a blessed land with vast resources, opportunities and talents; all yet to be fully explored. However, we must have faith in this nation and support our leaders. We must rally round and collaborate with one another towards improving the fortunes of our beloved country…”

He highlighted the modest achievements of his administration since he came on board, assured citizens of giving a purposeful leadership and stated, “I must affirm that governance is a serious business that must be undertaken with diligence… Under our administration, it will not be business as usual. We shall continue to motivate all appointees to explore ways and means to add value to governance so that it will significantly impact positively on our citizens…

“There is no gainsaying that the main stay of our economy is agriculture and in furtherance of some of the initiatives towards mitigating the effects of the fuel subsidy removal and to alleviate hardship faced by our people, we have procured over 200 trucks of fertiliser for distribution across the 17 Local Government Areas at a subsidized rate…”

On the Independence Day, the Governor said, “Permit me to restate that our struggle for independence and democracy has not been without its challenges, however, these challenges also serve as a testament to our resilience and determination as a people. Our diverse cultural heritage, combined with our unity of purpose propels us toward a democratic society that represents the interests of all Nigerians.

“We must also acknowledge that democracy is a work in progress! As we celebrate Nigeria’s independence, we should also reflect on areas where we can further enhance our democratic institutions. We must strive to create a level playing field for all political parties, ensure equitable resource distribution across the State, promote gender equity, combat corruption and advance the inalienable right of every citizen, especially the most marginalized, women, children, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Persons With Disabilities (PWDs).

“Leaders at all levels, Civil Society Organisations, Interest groups and every citizen must be committed to these ideals. For Plateau State, we have embraced the ‘The Time is Now’ mantra as a deliberate effort to revisit the Plateau Transformation Plan as envisioned by our founding fathers. We will not rest on our oars until Plateau State is repositioned for peace and prosperity.

“My team and I are resolute in our determination to give Plateau State a fresh start. We must rebuild the foundations that have been gradually eroded and chart a new way going forward. This is a solemn commitment and you can count on us. As we mark this day, let us be inspired by the passion, oneness, commitment, dedication and patriotism of our founding fathers…”

On those pardoned, he noted, “On this remarkable day, it is my pleasure to exercise my Prerogative of Mercy as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Having reviewed the recommendations of the Council on Prerogative of Mercy, I hereby approve as follows:

“Danladi Musa who was sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Culpable Homicide and having served 17 years is granted Absolute Pardon. Tali Zingtim who was sentenced to Death by Hanging for criminal Conspiracy and Armed Robbery will serve 21 years Imprisonment. Ponzing Nanshep who was sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Criminal Conspiracy and Culpable Homicide will serve 21 years Imprisonment. Dauda Joshua who was sentenced to Death by Hanging for Culpable Homicide will serve Life Imprisonment.”