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The former Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechukwu, says Nigerians have reasons to count their blessings as the nation marks her 64th Independence Anniversary on Oct. 1.

Okechukwu, a Foundation member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said that the Independence Day calls for a sober reflective celebration notwithstanding the prevailing socioeconomic realities of hunger on ground in the country.

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The APC chieftain said this to newsmen on Sunday in Enugu while speaking on why Nigerians should celebrate the 64th Independence Anniversary as a nation.

The Federal Government had declared Tuesday, Oct. 1, as a public holiday to allow Nigerians make praise thanksgiving, meditate, pray and if possible fast for the turnaround of the fortune of the nation.

According to Okechukwu, one without being immodest and despite the prevailing economic hardship, hunger, poverty and the growing inequality in the land, we still have a lot to celebrate.

“I was five years old by Independence in 1960; and it is good when we introspectively look inward and count our blessings.

“Among such blessings is a united country; a burgeoning population dotted especially with youth’s demographic advantage, more universities, tertiary institutions, secondary and primary schools, more hospitals, roads and rails among others.

“I honestly thank Almighty God,” he said.

On whether the current socio-economic indices can change, Okechukwu said that he believed that the country was on the threshold of that era when “policies of public interest and common good will triumph over selfish policies of planlessness.”

He noted that since Nigerians are good followers, in no distance time leadership would emerge “who will adopt Amilcar Cabral’s ageless maxim and commit class suicide to progressively transform our dear country.”

He said, “My take with due respect to our leaders is that our previous and current leadership had good intentions, but lacked the political-will to commit class suicide.

“For without class suicide how can leadership utilise our abundant human and material resources to lift millions out of poverty and effectively ignite Nigeria’s rapid revitalisation?”