It was mix of sweet and sour, as a former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku, celebrated his 90th birthday while lamenting Nigeria’s declining economy amongst other issues ravaging the country.
The nonagenarian, who served as the third Commonwealth Secretary-General from 1990 to 2000, marked his birthday on Wednesday in Lagos.
Anyaoku, however, hoped that the forthcoming general elections would bring a glimpse of hope to the nation.
He said, “An undeniable truth at the moment is that our country has declined, insecurity has made traveling by road dangerous.
“The green passport is disdained in many international airports. Our economy is such that most of our young people and increasingly a great number of our professionals are going abroad for greener pastures.
“Nigeria now has one of the greatest concentrations of people living below the poverty line.
“There is hope that this year’s national elections will be the beginning of a change for the better.”
The elder statesman pointed out that “90 is an age of reflection,” as he acknowledged the grace and goodness of God in his life.
Paying tribute to his late parents, Anyaoku added that the highlight of his life was his wife, whom he described as “a great blessing that I was fortunate to marry”.
Anyaoku also appreciated his children for coming down from the United States and the United Kingdom to attend his birthday ceremony.
