When did the Nigerian people celebrate their Independence Day from Britain?
INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION BY THE NIGERIAN EMBASSY NETHERLANDS. It was glitterati all the way as Nigerian Embassy in The Netherlands rolled out the red carpet and hosted guest to a dinner buffet at the prestigious Crown Plaza Hotel in Den Haag, to celebrate Nigeria’s 46th year independence anniversary; Resplendent in her casual traditional Nigerian attire, the chief host, Professor (Mrs.) Mary Lar, Nigerian Ambassador to The Netherlands, stood to welcome guest with a warm handshake and a charming smile, she was ably assisted by her Deputy Mr. Nicholas Davies who himself was dressed in a flowing blue agbada. The invited Guests represented a colorful spectrum of the multi-diversity for which the Nigeria society is famous, in attendance where Nigerians in Diaspora, the Diplomatic corp., Dutch nationals, business and civil liberty organizations, well wishers and so on, amongst those present where Mr. Wahab Ishola, Victor Rammer , Toju Eyesan and a lot of others. Guests were treated to
Nigeria marks its 49th independence today, but it is like there is little to celebrate, compared with what it ought to have achieved for the half a century it has thrown its colonial yoke overboard since 1960. That is the view of social commentators, and opinion leaders up and down the Niger River from which the country got its name when the North and the South were merged by the British in 1914. President Yar’Adua, was upbeat in a broadcast this morning, nonetheless, saying the day “offers us an opportunity for celebration, reflection, and rededication.” Even though “the promise of independence is yet to be fully realised,”he stressed, this “does not diminish the value of freedom and the eternal significance of the sacrifice of those who suffered to make us free.” However, a chorus of lamentation is voiced by the old school of commentators – which includes Olu Falae, a Yale trained economist who has been Finance Minister and Presidential candidate; Tanko Yakassai, former Presidential
Tomorrow (Thursday October 1st, 2009) is Nigeria’s 49th Independence Day anniversary. Nigeria officially became independent from Great Britain on Saturday, October 1, 1960. To commemorate this anniversary, I have delved into the archives and reproduced the full independence day speech delivered by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Balew delivered his speech at a site now known as “Tafawa Balewa Square” in Lagos. Sources: http://www.globalpost.
