25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS IN KADUNA

UNCLAS KADUNA 1154 E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: PGOV NI SUBJECT: 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS IN KADUNA ¶1. CEREMONIES MARKING NIGERIA'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AT KADUNA'S MURTALA MOHAMMED SQUARE WERE LOW-KEY AND ATTENDED BY A CROWD ESTIMATED BY THE PRESS AT 20,000. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE IDEAL--PLEASANT TEMPERATURES AND OVERCAST, BUT NONTHREATENING, SKIES. HEADING THE LIST OF DIGNITARIES WERE A DELEGATION OF TRADITIONAL CHIEFS, LED BY THE EMIRS OF ZARIA AND KATSINA, AND HIGH-RANKING MILITARY OFFICERS, INCLUDING AFRC MEMBER AIR VICE MARSHAL MOHAMMED YAHAYA AND NDA COMMANDANT MAJOR GENERAL PAUL TARFA. ALSO IN ATTENDANCE WERE STATE COMMISSIONERS, POLICE OFFICIALS, AND TOP MEMBERS OF THE JUDICIARY. DIGINITARIES, INCLUDING THE OFFICIAL HOST, KADUNA GOVERNOR MAJOR ABUBAKAR UMAR, ARRIVED ON TIME AND WITH LITTLE FANFARE. THE CEREMONIES WENT OFF WITH NO NOTABLE HITCHES AND WERE COMPLETED WELL AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, ACTUALLY CLOSING AN HOUR EARLIER THAN ADVERTISED. ¶2. THE CROWD WAS GENERALLY WELL-BEHAVED AND NOT PARTICULARLY ENTHUSIASTIC. ONLY THE DESCENT OF THREE PARACHUTISTS, THE OCCASIONAL BASHING OF PICKPOCKETS BY POLICE, AND THE HIGHSTEPPING ANTICS OF EXUBERANT YOUNGSTERS ON PARADE WERE ABLE TO GENERATE MUCH CROWD INTEREST. GOVERNOR UMAR'S SPEECH, THE ONLY ONE ON THE AGENDA, WAS BRIEF AND DELIVERED IN A STRONG, CLEAR VOICE. THE SPEECH WAS A REPEAT OF PRESIDENGIDA'S EARLIER REMARKS BUT WAS NOT IDENTIFIED AS SUCH. IT WAS GREETED BY POLITE APPLAUSE FROM THE AUDIENCE. ¶3. GOVERNOR UMAR HOSTED A LATE AFTERNOON GARDEN PARTY AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE, DISTINGUISHED PRIMARILY BY THE CASUAL NATURE OF THE GATHERING (NO SPEECHES) AND BY ITS BREVITY (THE NIGERIAN ANTHEM WAS PLAYED AT 5:45 PM, SIGNALLING THE END OF THE EVENT, FIFTEEN MINUTES BEFORE THE ALLOTTED HOUR WAS UP). THE GARDEN PARTY WAS WELL ATTENDED BY NOTABLES, INCLUDING FOUR EMIRS, SENIOR MILITARY AND CIVILIAN OFFICIALS, AND SELECTED RETIRED OFFICIALS. GOVERNOR UMAR APPEARED CONFIDENT AND AT EASE IN HIS ROLE AS HOST. ¶4. COMMENT. THE STREAMLINING OF THE CEREMONIES WAS THE ONLY NOTABLE DIFFERENCE FROM OTHER SUCH OCCASIONS WE HAVE SEEN HERE UNDER THE PREVIOUS REGIME. CROWD SIZE AND THE LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION BY NOTABLES WERE TYPICAL FOR EVENTS OF THIS TYPE. THE REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF SPEECHES AND THE LENGTH OF THE FESTIVITIES WAS A BLESSED RELIEF MUCH APPRECIATED BY ALL, MOST ASSUREDLY INCLUDING THE CONSULAR REPRESENTATIVES IN ATTENDANCE. THE EVENT WAS NOTABLE FOR ITS LACK OF TRADITIONAL DANCERS AND SINGERS; MILITARY DRILLS, MARCHING YOUTHS AND MARTIAL MUSIC PROVIDED THE BULK OF THE ENTERTAINMENT. THE USUAL DISTRIBUTION OF PRINTED VERSIONS OF MAJOR SPEECHES IN BOTH ENGLISH AND HAUSA WAS ALSO DISCARDED. THESE MINOR CHANGES PROBABLY REFLECT EQUALLY THE NEW ADMINISTRATION'S DEDICATION TO AN AUSTERITY PROGRAM AND THE SHORT LEADTIME AVAILABLE TO PREPARE FOR THIS YEAR'S CELEBRATIONS. END COMMENT. LEE