The Senator representing Borno South Senatorial Zone, Ali Ndume, has said that he is of the opinion that independence should be marked instead of the wasteful celebration.
He made the observation during an interactive session with newsmen in Kano over the weekend after attending the recently concluded constitutional review retreat.
He explained that in his opinion independence should be the time to review progress and achievements as well as setting plans for better future, which is less cost effective that the festivities of celebrating independence day on 1st October.
“I don’t support celebrating of independence, but I support marking of independence.
“Now if we sir down here on the 1st of October, we can sit and say today is our independence day, what have we achieved, what are we supposed to achieve, what do we do, this is marking the independence day. You’re accessing the independence day.
“But when you say we celebrate, then we go to the stadium, we wear uniform we bit drums and we do parade. In the evening we gather everybody to eat dinner, that is celebration.
“I support marking independence, to evaluate ourselves, to look back. To drawback and say we are now 64 years since independence.
“You can imagine the money that is going to be spent on independence, on celebration, but if it is to mark the independence day, you call journalists like this in the government house, you talk about what you have achieved, what you wanted to achieve, what you intend to do in the future, the journalists will ask questions and make suggestions, that’s it and everybody will just go” he stated.