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Nigeria’s First Prime Minister, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa’s 1960 Independence Day Speech [Memories]

Published

4 years ago

September 30, 2021

Editor

Today is Independence Day. The first of October 1960 is a date to which for two years every Nigerian has been eagerly looking forward. At last, our great day has arrived, and Nigeria is now indeed an independent sovereign nation.

Words cannot adequately express my joy and pride at being the Nigerian citizen privileged to accept from Her Royal Highness these Constitutional Instruments which are the symbols of Nigeria’s Independence. It is a unique privilege which I shall remember forever, and it gives me strength and courage as I dedicate my life to the service of our country.

This is a wonderful day, and it is all the more wonderful because we have awaited it with increasing impatience, compelled to watch one country after another overtaking us on the road when we had so nearly reached our goal. But now we have acquired our rightful status, and I feel sure that history will show that the building of our nation proceeded at the wisest pace: it has been thorough, and Nigeria now stands well-built upon firm foundations.

Today’s ceremony marks the culmination of a process, which began 15 years ago and has now reached a happy and successful conclusion. It is with justifiable pride that we claim the achievement of our Independence to be unparallelled in the annals of history. Each step of our constitutional advance has been purposefully and peacefully planned with full and open consultation, not only between representatives of all the various interests in Nigeria but in harmonious cooperation with the administering power which has today relinquished its authority.
At the time when our constitutional development entered upon its final phase, the emphasis was largely upon self-government. We, the elected representatives of the people of Nigeria, concentrated on proving that we were fully capable of managing our own affairs both internally and as a nation. However, we were not to be allowed the selfish luxury of focusing our interest in our own homes. In these days of rapid communications, we cannot live in isolation, apart from the rest of the world, even if we wished to do so. All too soon it has become evident that for us Independence implies a great deal more than self-government. This great country, which has now emerged without bitterness or bloodshed, finds that she must at once be ready to deal with grave international issues.

This fact has of recent months been unhappily emphasised by the startling events which have occurred in this continent. I shall not labour the point but it would be unrealistic not to draw attention first to the awe-inspiring task confronting us at the very start of our nationhood. When this day in October 1960 was chosen for our Independence it seemed that we were destined to move with quiet dignity to place on the world stage. Recent events have changed the scene beyond recognition, so that we find ourselves today being tested to the utmost we are called upon immediately to show that our claims to the responsible government are well-founded, and having been accepted as an independent state we must at once play an active part in maintaining the peace of the world and in preserving civilisation. I promise you, we shall not fail for want of determination.

And we come to this task better-equipped than many. For this, I pay tribute to the manner in which successive British governments have gradually transferred the burden of responsibility to our shoulders. The assistance and unfailing encouragement which we have received from each Secretary of State for the Colonies and their intense personal interest in our development has immeasurably lightened that burden.

All our friends in the Colonial Office must today be proud of their handiwork and in the knowledge that they have helped to lay the foundations of a lasting friendship between our two nations. I have indeed every confidence that, based on the happy experience of a successful partnership, our future relations with the United Kingdom will be more cordial than ever, bound together, as we shall be in the Commonwealth, by a common allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, whom today we proudly acclaim as Queen of Nigeria and Head of the Commonwealth.

Time will not permit the individual mention of all those friends, many of them Nigerians, whose selfless labours have contributed to our Independence. Some have not lived to see the fulfilment of their hopes on them be peace, “but nevertheless they are remembered here, and the names of buildings and streets and roads and bridges throughout the country recall to our minds their achievements, some of them on a national scale. Others confined, perhaps, to a small area in one Division, are more humble but of equal value in the sum-total.

Today, we have with us representatives of those who have made Nigeria: Representatives of the Regional Governments, of former Central Governments, of the Missionary Societies, and of the Banking and Commercial enterprises, and members, both past and present, of the Public Service. We welcome you, and we rejoice that you have been able to come and share in our celebrations. We wish that it could have been possible for all of those whom you represent to be here today: Many, I know, will be disappointed to be absent, but if they are listening to me now, I say to them, “Thank you on behalf of my Thank you for your devoted service, which helped build Nigeria into a nation. Today we are reaping the harvest which you sowed, and the quality of the harvest is equalled only by our gratitude to you. May God bless you all.

This is an occasion when our hearts are filled with conflicting emotions: we are, indeed, proud to have achieved our independence, and proud that our efforts should have contributed to this happy event. But do not mistake our pride for arrogance. It is tempered by feelings of sincere gratitude to all who have shared in the task of developing Nigeria politically, socially and economically. We are grateful to the British officers whom we have known, first as masters, and then as leaders, and finally as partners, but always as friends. And there have been countless missionaries who have laboured unceasingly in the cause of education and to whom we owe many of our medical services. We are grateful also to those who have brought modern methods of banking and of commerce, and new industries. I wish to pay tribute to all of these people and to declare our everlasting admiration of their devotion to duty.

And, finally, I must express our gratitude to Her Royal Highness the Princess Alexandra of Kent for personally bringing to us these symbols of our freedom, and especially for delivering the gracious message from Her Majesty The Queen. And so, with the words “God save our Queen”, I open a new chapter in the history of Nigeria, and of the Commonwealth, and indeed of the world.

Balewa, Nigeria’s first prime minister, delivered this speech on October 1, 1960

Headline

10 Killed In Nepal Protest Over Social Media Ban

Published

8 hours ago

September 8, 2025

Editor

At least 10 protesters were killed Monday after Nepal police fired rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannon to disperse demonstrators in Kathmandu demanding the government lift its ban on social media and tackle corruption.

Several social media sites — including Facebook, YouTube, and X — have been inaccessible in Nepal since Friday after the government blocked 26 unregistered platforms, leaving users angry and confused.

“Until now, 10 protesters have died and 87 are injured,” Shekhar Khanal, spokesman for the Kathmandu valley police, told AFP.

“The crowds are still in the streets”.

Many of the injured were being treated at the nearby Civil Hospital, according to its information officer Ranjana Nepal.

“I have never seen such a disturbing situation at the hospital,” she told AFP.

“Tear gas entered the hospital area as well, making it difficult for doctors to work”.

Waving national flags, young demonstrators in the capital Kathmandu started the protest with the national anthem before unleashing chants against the social media prohibitions and corruption.

The crowd swelled as it crossed into a restricted area close to the parliament and pushed through barbed wire.

Violence erupted in the streets as police baton-charged protesters, some of whom climbed over the wall into the parliament premises.

The district administration imposed a curfew in several key areas of the city, including the parliament, the president’s residence, and Singha Durbar, which houses the prime minister’s office.

Similar protests were organised in other districts across the country.

Popular platforms such as Instagram have millions of users in Nepal who rely on them for entertainment, news, and business.

“We were triggered by the social media ban, but that is not the only reason we are gathered here,” said student Yujan Rajbhandari, 24.

– ‘We want to see change’ –

“We are protesting against corruption that has been institutionalised in Nepal.”

Another student, Ikshama Tumrok, 20, said she was protesting against the “authoritarian attitude” of the government.

“We want to see change. Others have endured this, but it has to end with our generation,” she told AFP.

Since the ban, videos contrasting the struggles of ordinary Nepalis with the children of politicians flaunting luxury goods and expensive vacations have gone viral on TikTok, which is still operating.

“There have been movements abroad against corruption, and they (the government) are afraid that might happen here as well,” said protester Bhumika Bharati.

The cabinet decided last month to give the affected companies seven days to register in Nepal, establish a point of contact, and designate a resident grievance handling officer and compliance officer.

The decision came after a Supreme Court order in September last year.

In a statement on Sunday, the government said it respected freedom of thought and expression and was committed to “creating an environment for their protection and unfettered use”.

Nepal has restricted access to popular online platforms in the past.

The government blocked access to the Telegram messaging app in July, citing a rise in online fraud and money laundering.

It lifted a nine-month ban on TikTok in August last year after the platform agreed to comply with Nepali regulations.

AFP

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Popular Influencer Lola Shot

Published

8 hours ago

September 8, 2025

Editor

Popular social media influencer Lola Doll is in critical condition after being shot multiple times outside her home in Georgetown on Saturday night.

This was disclosed in a Sunday statement released on social media by the Guyana Police Force.

The 33-year-old, whose real name is Lolita Callender, was attacked at about 11:35 p.m. local time in front of her residence at Texas Square, East Ruimveldt.

“She is presently receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she remains in critical condition, having sustained gunshot wounds to her neck, face, hands, and right leg,” the statement partly read.

The police operatives disclosed that Callender was seated in her car when a gunman on a motorcycle opened fire.

“Preliminary information indicates that the victim was seated in her motor car when she was shot by a male on a motorcycle,” the GPF added.

Leadership tussle claims two as Edo begins probe
Authorities said efforts are underway to track down the suspect.

“Police ranks are actively pursuing the suspect, and CCTV footage from the area is being reviewed as part of the investigation,” the release noted.

The force appealed to the public for assistance, saying,”The Guyana Police Force is urging anyone who witnessed the incident or has information to come forward.

“Persons can also share information anonymously by calling 911 or the nearest police station.

“Investigations remain ongoing,” the police stated.

Headline

French PM Ousted In Parliament Confidence Vote

Published

9 hours ago

September 8, 2025

Editor

France’s parliament on Monday ousted the government of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou after just nine months in office, leaving President Emmanuel Macron scrambling to find a successor and plunging the country into a new political crisis.

Bayrou, who has been in the job for just nine months, had blindsided even his allies by calling a confidence vote to end a lengthy standoff over his austerity budget, which foresees almost 44 billion euros ($52 billion) of cost savings to reduce France’s debt pile.

Bayrou, the first premier in the history of modern France to be ousted in a confidence vote rather than a no-confidence vote, will submit his resignation on Tuesday morning, according to a person close to him who asked not to be named.

In the vote in the National Assembly, 364 deputies voted that they had no confidence in the government, while just 194 gave it their confidence. “In line with Article 50 of the constitution, the prime minister must submit the resignation of his government,” said Speaker Yael Braun-Pivet.

Bayrou is the sixth prime minister under Macron since his 2017 election, but the fifth since 2022. Bayrou’s ousting leaves the French head of state with a new domestic headache at a time when he is leading diplomatic efforts on the Ukraine war.

But defending his decision to call the high-risk confidence vote, Bayrou told the National Assembly, “The biggest risk was not to take one, to let things continue without anything changing… and have business as usual.”

Describing the debt pile as “life-threatening” for France, Bayrou said his government had put forward a plan so that the country could “in a few years’ time escape the inexorable tide of debt that is submerging it.”

“You have the power to overthrow the government,” but not “to erase reality,” Bayrou told the MPs in a doomed final bid to save his government before the vote.

Unpopular president

Macron now faces one of the most critical decisions of his presidency—appoint a seventh prime minister to try to thrash out a compromise, or call snap elections in a bid to have a more accommodating parliament.

There is no guarantee an election would result in any improvement in the fortunes of Macron’s centre-right bloc in parliament.

And although the Socialist Party (PS) has expressed readiness to lead a new government, it is far from clear whether such an administration could survive.

Heavyweight right-wing cabinet ministers, such as Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, are trusted by Macron but risk being voted out by the left.

According to a poll by Odoxa-Backbone for Le Figaro newspaper, 64 per cent of the French want Macron to resign rather than name a new prime minister, a move he has ruled out.

He is forbidden from standing for a third term in 2027.

Around 77 per cent of people do not approve of his work, Macron’s worst-ever such rating, according to an Ifop poll for the Ouest-France daily.

Le Pen ruling

Alongside political upheaval, France is also facing social tensions.

A left-wing collective named “Block Everything” is calling for a day of action on Wednesday, and trade unions have urged workers to strike on September 18.

The 2027 presidential election, meanwhile, remains wide open, with analysts predicting the French far right will have its best-ever chance of winning.

Three-time presidential candidate for the National Rally (RN), Marine Le Pen suffered a blow in March when a French court convicted her and other party officials over an EU parliament fake jobs scam.

Le Pen was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, two of which were suspended, and a fine of 100,000 euros ($117,000).

The ruling also banned her from standing for office for five years, which would scupper her ambition of taking part in the 2027 vote unless overturned on appeal.

But a Paris court said Monday her appeal would be heard from January 13 to February 12, 2026, well before the election—potentially resurrecting her presidential hopes.

Cheered by her MPs, Le Pen urged Macron to call snap legislative elections, saying holding the polls is “not an option but an obligation” and describing Bayrou’s administration as a “phantom government.”