Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
“Old but… not mature”, that was how Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku described Nigeria on Tuesday on the occasion of the country’s 59th Independence Day anniversary.
Mr Ishaku made the scathing remark in Jalingo, the state capital, while interacting with reporters shortly after his return to the state following his victory at the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja. The Governor added that Nigeria’s journey to nationhood has been sour and ugly.
He expressed regret that after almost six decades of self-rule, the country, in his view, has not been able to transform itself, in spite of its enormous potentials.
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“Let me say that Nigeria is 59 years old but not 59 years mature. It is unfortunate that after all these years, we have not been able to transform the country to the enviable standard that we all crave for. It is a shame that even in Africa, we are still lagging behind. We are called the ‘Giant of Africa’ but in a real sense, we are just sitting giants,” the Governor stated.
He called on the Federal Government to take more proactive measures in preserving the security of lives and property of the people so that investors can be attracted and the people would also be able to go about their lawful businesses peacefully.
The Governor described his Tribunal victory as a reaffirmation of the people’s mandate and promised to work even more in the coming years to make sure that the goals of his administration are accomplished.