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President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, officially
unveiled the clock to commence the 50 day countdown to Nigeria’s 50th
Independence Day celebration on October 1st.

In his address, at the event jointly organised by
DAAR Communications and Integrated Management Resource at the Banquet
Hall of the presidential villa, Mr. Jonathan directed that the
countdown clocks be placed in strategic places across the country ahead
of October 1, where Nigeria intends to reenact the same event of
lowering of the Union Jack and the raising of the Nigerian flag 50
years ago.

“This event is to officially begin the countdown to
the 50th year anniversary which will be celebrated on October 1, 2010.
I have directed that the counting down clocks be placed at strategic
places as a constant reminder of our jubilee independence anniversary,”
he said.

“I dare say that current challenges notwithstanding,
Nigeria has a glorious past worthy of celebration that should arose in
us all the good things about Nigeria.

“We must rededicate ourselves to those patriotic
ideas and creative potentials in us all. It is worthy of note that the
event to celebrate our 50th independence anniversary is purely private
sector initiative sponsored by Integrated Management Resources in
partnership with DAAR Communications PLC, those organizations deserve
our special commendation for the patriotic vision.”

Mr. Jonathan also stressed that Nigeria has reasons
to celebrate the past 50 years adding that the world views Nigeria as a
great country not in terms of its population but what it has been able
to do in the past 50 years.

“If we have not made any impact globally this past 50
years we would have been written off long ago. We have our challenges
we know that very clearly which is why this time around we are
committed to move this country forward but we have every reason to
celebrate the past 50 years” he added.

Media attention

The Chief Executive Officer, Integrated Management
Resource, Oluwafemi Victor Walsh, said his belief in the Nigerian dream
fostered his organisation to partner with DAAR Communications to put up
the event.

“We believe in the Nigerian Vision and we believe in
Mr. President. We believe Mr. President became President by divine
intervention and that is why we are supporting this Nigeria at 50
project at our own small level,” he said.

Mr. Walsh further regretted that the tradition where
kids used to match to celebrate the nation’s independence has been
abandoned adding, “Nigerians now see it as a day to rest at home but
this celebration gives us all the opportunity to immortalize and lay
foundation for the next 50 years. If we cannot celebrate our past then
let us celebrate our future”.

The company is putting together a project that will
put Nigeria in the Guinness Book of World Records. It plans to unveil
the 65, 000kg World’s largest cake at the National Stadium on 1st
October 2010, aimed at rebranding Nigeria on the day.

“We enjoy the greatest global media attention since 1960,” he said.