THE Executive Chairman of the Alimosho LGA, Hon. Jelili Sulaimon, has urged Nigerians to reflect on the journey of the country as the nation celebrates her 63rd Independence Day anniversary.
His message to the residents on Sunday, October 1, 2023, read: “Our country, just like a human is 63 years of age. This is an age in which when attained by anyone, the person would have either retired from service at 60 or about to retire at 65. And just like it is important for the one who is about to retire from service, there is a need for reflection on the present situation in our nation.
“Reflection is needed on how the journey started, where we are right now, and what the future holds. There will be nothing to use as an excuse because the reality is here already. If you can't get it right now, then when?
“Nigeria has attained the age of serious reflection. We need to reflect on the exact direction we are coming from and take note of where we are. From there, we can project exactly where we are going so that required strategies will be put in place to ensure this.
“Today, our story as a nation is just like the man who is about to get retired and probably, for one reason or the other married late, such that all his kids are still in primary school and he has only two years left in service. How is he going to cope with school fees and other responsibilities afterwards when he didn't even invest in anything that can give him a profit?
“Our country is over 30 years back in all spheres of life. Our needs since 30 years ago have not changed. Good roads, constant power supply, and availability of good water are still a challenge in Nigeria just like it was 30 years ago.
“The population keeps increasing yet resources keep reducing. Since the initial challenges haven't been addressed yet, new challenges start springing up. Now, access to food, which wasn't a problem before is a serious challenge. The number of our out-of-school children has increased and the number of homelessness has heightened.
“The challenges are now overwhelming and solving them is now very difficult unlike before when the population was less.”
