Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday, unveiled the 60th independence anniversary celebration logo in the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The president who unveiled the logo before the commencement of the virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting said the unveiling ceremony marked the formal launch of a series of activities commemorating the diamond anniversary of Nigeria’s independence.
Buhari said history had saddled him with the task of proclaiming a theme that will keep Nigeria united and “help us forge ahead and unveil a logo that will form the critical pillars, which are eleven months modest commemoration activities will rest on “
He said: “Celebrating 60 years of independence really calls for pomp and pageantry, but the global COVID-19 Pandemic, which has forced all nations in the world to think and act differently, has also forced on us the imperative of a low-keyed celebration.
“Operating within the limitations placed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we created an internet challenge for Nigerians to make a choice from a set of four pre-selected logos that will appropriately define theme.”
“Of these four options, Nigerians from all walks of life participated in making a choice and I am happy to let you know that the logo I would be unveiling is a product of choice from the Nigerian people.”
Buhari said he was informed that the selected option “depicts our togetherness, a country of over 200 million people whose natural talent, grit and passion glitter like the precious Diamond we are,” adding, “this, to me, is a special appreciation to our most precious asset – our people.”
Buttressing his point, President Buhari said, “Everywhere you go, Nigerians are sparkling like diamonds in the pack, whether in Academia, Business, Innovation, Music, Movie, Entertainment, Fashion and culture.
“Furthermore, I am also made aware that the neatly encrusted Diamond on the Nigerian Map symbolizes our age of treasure, the worth of the Nigerian people with our sparkle to the admiration of the world. In the same vein, the pear green and dark green colours should respectively remind us of our warmth, welcoming spirit and love as well as the abundant wealth inherent in our human capital and the richness of our land. All these properties make us unarguably the most prosperous black nation in the world and Africa’s largest economy.
“It is, therefore, with a deep feeling of national pride that I hereby announce to you, that Together shall be the theme of our Nation’s Sixtieth Anniversary Celebration. Our founding fathers, In spite of the differences in faith, tribe and tongue came Together to fight for Nigeria’s independence. This shall be a befitting tribute to the struggles of our heroes past.”
He commended members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Nigeria’s 60th anniversary celebration for the work they had done so far and reminded them that this was just the beginning.
In his remarks at the event, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Nigeria’s Sixtieth Anniversary celebration, Boss Mustapha, said one major agreement of the committee was the need to deviate from the norm of celebrating landmark events with a conclusion on the day of such events.
“Thus, it was agreed that to make the Diamond Anniversary very inclusive and create opportunities for internalization and “buy-in” by all sectors and the Nigerian people, a year long celebration would be pursued starting from the date of launching a web portal to September 30th 2021,” Mustapha said.
More details shortly…
