Independence Day Blow: Why Gov Fubara Called Off Rivers Parade

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has announced the cancellation of the Independence Day parade earlier scheduled for Wednesday, October 1, to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The decision, conveyed in a statement by Friday Dede, Permanent Secretary of the Special Services Bureau in the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, was said to be in line with the Federal Government’s directive.

Dede expressed regret over any inconvenience the cancellation might cause residents.

“This is to inform the public that, in line with the pronouncement of the Federal Government, the parade scheduled to hold at the Sharks Stadium, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday, October 1, to commemorate the 65th Independence Anniversary in the state, has been cancelled. We regret any inconvenience caused by this cancellation,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised the Federal Government’s decision to scrap the anniversary parade.

Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the move reflected a widening gap between the presidency and ordinary Nigerians.

Abdullahi argued that the cancellation deprived the nation of an important symbolic event, describing the explanation that it was tied to economic conditions as disappointing and poorly timed.