President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday enjoined Nigerians to emulate the leadership qualities of the late former Head of States,
General Murtala Mohammed
while reflecting on the fact that men may die but their ideas live on.
His Excellency in a post to his friends on facebook listed Abuja and what he defined as the prospering democracy in the country as among the ideas of the late head of state who was murdered in an abortive military coup on February 13, 1976.
While recalling on Mohammed’s statement in 1975 that Africa has come of age, Jonathan in a post, commemorating the death of the revolutionary and anti-corruption leader 37 years ago Wednesday, observed that the victory of the Super Eagles in the just concluded AFCON also portrayed that Nigeria has come of age.
Jonathan said: “Today marks the 37th anniversary of the death of General Murtala Ramat Mohammed, the great patriot who paid the ultimate price for Nigeria. I urge Nigerians to remember the life and times of this hero of Nigeria who proved the truism in the maxim that people may die but ideas never die.
“Today, his ideas live after him, Abuja as the Federal Capital of a united strong and prospering Nigeria and democracy thriving all over the nation. But perhaps most prophetic is his speech at the Organization of African Unity, OAU, in January of 1976 where he said “Africa has come of age”.
He added that: “Almost 37 years to the day, all Nigerians celebrate our victorious Super Eagles who to paraphrase Murtala’s words proved that Nigeria ‘has come of age’. I thank God for giving us such a patriot and pray that the labours of our heroes past shall never be in vain.”
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