By Lanre Adesanya
The
Federal Government has invited world leaders for the maiden June 12 Democracy
Day celebration instead of the May 29 inauguration ceremony.
The Minister of Information
and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this on Monday while addressing
newsmen in Abuja.
Mohammed reiterated that the presidential inauguration ceremony would be
low-key as a number of the events slated for the occasion had been moved to
June 12 Democracy Day.
According to the minister, the official commencement of the new Democracy Day
in 2019 is in fulfillment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration in 2018.
“Activities leading to the inauguration of Mr President officially kick off
today with this media conference and will be followed on Tuesday by the
commencement of a three-day National Youth Entrepreneurship Empowerment Summit.
“The Federal Executive Council Valedictory Session will be held at the Council
Chambers, State House, Abuja, on Wednesday; a Special Juma’t Lecture and prayer
will be held on Friday at the National Mosque.
“The First Lady’s interaction with women is slated for Saturday while a special
Inter-denominational Church Service will hold on Sunday at the National
Christian Centre.
“Mr President will give a Children’s Day broadcast on May 27 to be followed
later in the day by a Children’s Variety Party, the minister said.
He said that the swearing-in of the President and the Vice President would hold
on May 29 at the Eagle Square and would be followed by a State Banquet at the
State House.
Mohammed said that the event marking the June 12 Democracy Day celebration
would kick off on June 7 with a Historical Exhibition in Arts, Pictures and
Immersive Environment, and would run through June 12.
According to him, the historical exhibition will be followed on June 9 by a
Youth Concert, Creative Industry and Entertainment Night at the International
Conference Centre.
“Secondary Schools Exhibition/Panel Discussion is slated for June 11 and will feature
three events, the PMB Oratorical Contest, an Anti-corruption Summit and First
Lady’s Commissioning Programme in Yola.
“June 12 will start off with a parade at the Eagle Square and the Democracy Day
programme will be wrapped up with a Dinner and Gala Night at the State House,”
he added
Our plan for first June 12 celebrations —FG
by Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja
The Federal Government said on Monday that it has lined up several activities
to mark June 12 as Nigeria’s first Democracy Day.
Though it said that May 29 still remains a public holiday in the country and
that President Muhammadu Buhari will be sworn in on that day, it nevertheless
said major activities of the event will be shifted to June 12.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohamed, who spoke at a press briefing
in Abuja, said both days would be marked as public holiday this year.
But the minister said most of the activities had been moved to June 12, and
that the events slated for May 29 would be low key.
He said world leaders will only attend the June 12 events.
The minister said the events celebrating June 12 as Democracy Day will kick off
on Friday, June 7, with a Historical Exhibition in Arts, Pictures and Immersive
Environment and run through June 12.
The event, he said, is slated to hold at the ICC.
It will be followed on Sunday, June 9th by a Youth Concert, Creative Industry
and Entertainment Night also at the ICC.
He said, “On Monday, June 10th, there will be a Secondary Schools
Exhibition/Panel Discussion at the ICC, and Tuesday, June 11th will feature
three events: the PMB Oratorical Contest at the ICC, an Anti-corruption Summit
at the Transcorp Hilton and a First Lady’s Commissioning Programme in Yola,
Adamawa.
“Wednesday, June 12th will start off with a parade at the Eagle Square, and the
Democracy Day programme will wrap up with a Dinner and Gala Night at the State
House