AS Nigeria’s 2012 independence anniversary arrives on Monday, members of the communities across the United States are gearing-up to celebrate.
Notable among them is the New York-based Nigerians who have made elaborate plans for activities to mark the 52nd independence anniversary this week, from October 4 through October 6.
Mr. Tony Ebeh, a member of a group, the Organization for the Advancement of Nigerians, said that the celebration would start with a welcome party.
According to him, there will be a cultural night on Friday and a colorful Nigeria Independence Day parade to round it off on Saturday.
“The Nigeria Independence celebration in New York City brings Nigerians from all walks of life and inter-generational groups together in the course of planning and celebrating their homeland.
“Thousands of Nigerians and friends of Nigeria from all over the world come to New York City each October to celebrate Nigeria,’’ Ebeh said.
He said that no fewer than 30,000 people participated in the 2011 celebration.
“This celebration is funded by patriotic Nigerians and businesses serving the Nigerian community.
“While we welcome contributions from private individuals, businesses and government entities, we intend to keep our Independence Day celebration as a privately-run event,” he said.
He said that prominent artistes from Nigeria would entertain Nigerian youths who would proudly and boldly display their “Nigerian pride.’’
Ebeh said the organisation started the Nigeria Independence Day Parade in the U. S. in 1991.
He said that the annual event had grown to be the biggest and largest celebration of Nigeria’s Independence Day outside the nation’s shores.
The development in the United States come as some youths in Ikate/Itire Local Government Area of Lagos State on Saturday embarked on streets beautification in preparation for the independence celebrations.
The youths, who took part in the state’s monthly sanitation exercise, decorated streets in the area with ribbons and balls, painted in the nation’s colour of green, white and green.
“We just decided to celebrate the independence by clearing and partaking in the environmental sanitation to keep the area and its environs clean for the celebration,” said Mr. Kelechi Anyanwu, a resident who took part in the exercise.
“We feel it is good to celebrate our country and thank God for the little peace we have, especially in Lagos State despite the killings and bombing going on in other parts of the country.
“We sympathise with the families of those that were killed recently in Bauchi, and we call on the government to look into the issue and resolve it to avert further bloodshed,’’ he said.
Anyawu also appealed to the Lagos Waste Management Authority and the private sector partnership to leverage their services by deploying more trucks to areas with high population.
Miss Chiyenere Mba, an NYSC member and an official of the association, also urged government to find a lasting solution to the nation’s unemployment problem.
She described as regrettable, Nigeria’s inability to tackle unemployment after 52 years of existing as a sovereign nation.
Mr. Muyiwa Akindele, another member of the association, urged governments at all levels to beef up security and ensure protection of its citizens.
According to him, the forthcoming celebration of independence calls for sober reflection