The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday felicitated with Nigerians on the joyous occasion of the country’s 57th independence anniversary.

A statement by the party’s spokesman, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi stated: “Indeed, Nigeria’s journey since independence in 1960 has been eventful in many respects. The fact that we have come this far as one united country gives us a reason to celebrate.

“However, we urge citizens to use this occasion to reflect on the many challenges that we have faced over the years and use those to strengthen our resolve to build a strong, virile and united country; even as we celebrate our many triumphs over the years.

”Certainly, one of the great achievements of our country was the historic Presidential election of 2015. With that election, we were able to prove to the rest of the world that our democracy has come of age. That election also provided opportunity for Nigerians to press the reset buttons in the governance of our country.

“While there is still so much work to be done to achieve the Nigeria of our dreams, the All Progressives Congress (APC), is delighted with the enormous strides that have been made in the last two years under President Muhammadu Buhari to bring our nation back to the path of rectitude and sanity away from the wanton profligacy and impunity of recent years.

“The party is confident that with the support of all Nigerians, we can reach our economic development goals sooner than sceptics believe is possible. With diversification of the Nigerian economy by the current administration, with special focus on agriculture, the creative industry, solid minerals and other viable sectors, the hidden potential of the nation will come to full bloom sooner rather than later.

“The ongoing implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) must be supported by all as a basis for realizing social inclusion objectives, such as employment generation and eradication of poverty and inequality. Such safety net initiatives as the Home Grown School Feeding Programme, conditional cash transfer scheme and N-Power will guarantee that the poor and vulnerable directly benefit from economic development.

“Happily, the economy has started responding to these policy initiatives of the government as evidenced in the improvement and stability of the naira exchange rate; increase in the country’s foreign reserves and the recent announcement by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that the country has officially come out of recession.

“In relation to recent ethnic-based agitations, we reiterate our belief that it is in our collective interest to support and remain steadfast to the cause of a united Nigeria as our strength remains in our diversity. We reaffirm our party's commitment to restructuring and we believe that our ongoing efforts in that direction will address some of the underlying concerns that have emerged.

“As we celebrate our 57th independence anniversary, we must sustain the hope that brighter days are ahead of us. Let us join in the effort to build a more vibrant nation that every Nigerian will be proud of. The future holds great dividends.”

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