The Presidency has announced that the 72nd birthday of President Bola Tinubu on March 29 will be low-key.
This was communicated in a statement signed Sunday by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga.
“According to him (Tinubu), because of the present mood of the nation and the recent killing of the officers and men of our Army and police in Delta State and the recent spate of security breaches by criminal elements in different parts of Nigeria, there should be no form of birthday event and placing of birthday goodwill advertorial messages in newspapers.
“Goodwill messages should not be placed on radio and television stations too.
“President Tinubu enjoins friends and associates who may wish to place goodwill advertorials to kindly donate the money to charity organisations of their choice in his name,” Onanuga stated.
He said Tinubu, who turns 72 on Friday, March 29, 2024, would customarily mark the auspicious occasion with family members, friends and associates to celebrate him in different ways.
“As the leader of our country, President Tinubu in deference to these challenging times will not host any birthday event and does not want any of his associates and numerous well-wishers across the country to organise any celebratory event on his behalf or in his name,” the Presidential aide explained.
Although the President appreciates the gallantry of the armed forces in freeing the children kidnapped in Kuriga, Kaduna State and in Sokoto State, the Presidency said he would use the opportunity of his birthday to “reflect and re-dedicate himself to the task of building a more stable, more secure, virile, prosperous and united Nigeria.”
Onanuga noted that the President appreciated the honour of being the leader of Africa’s leading nation at this time and was “working very hard to make life better for the generality of our people.”
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, issued a similar announcement about the 63rd independence anniversary ceremony last October.
Akume had said rather than a full-blown celebration at Eagle Square, the celebrations would hold in a small ceremony at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, due to the economic crunch at the time.