Vice President Kashim Shettima has stated that the northern region of Nigeria has endured poverty, corruption, and inadequate leadership for far too long, leading to the emergence of a new generation that lacks fear of God and respect for the country’s laws.
Following protests against hunger organised by the youth nationwide, the Vice President emphasised the urgent need for a complete and comprehensive overhaul in Nigeria.
He also highlighted that the accumulation of numerous problems in the country has resulted in the loss of lives and destruction of property.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of 20 indigent pupils of Hau’wa Memorial School (HMS), owned by AMA Foundation, the VP who was represented by his special adviser on political matters, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmad said: “For too long we have tolerated poverty, corruption, poor leadership and we can see the result, a generation that has come up that has no respect for God, for the law of the land, for the leadership and our values.”
He then assured that the Federal Government, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will make Nigeria work so that future generations will benefit just like past generations benefited from the legacies of the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello.
According to him, “In the last two weeks, the country has gone through difficult times mostly led by the youth, young people who are angry because they are hungry, young people who are angry because they do not see any prospects in becoming better than they are, young people who think the government does not care about them, young people who have no respect for any authority in this country because they think every authority has let them down.
“Young people who are not afraid of hunger, not afraid of their parents, they are not afraid of the police, the army or anybody because they believe this country belongs to those who can drag and run, young Nigerians believe Nigeria is free for all. We created this situation, generations like ours, but we did not inherit it. The people who built Nigeria before our lives worked very hard, made sacrifices, and tried to build a country through honesty and hard work.”
He urged the youth to channel their anger against the system that does not give them a chance and towards the political system adding, “The political system we are operating is defective because it is producing people who have no business being in government.”
He however challenged parents to be more involved in the lives and upbringing of their children saying, “No matter what, there is no justification for stealing or looting someone else’s property.”
He added: “We have to work hard for this country and believe that Nigeria can be fixed because if you do not believe the country can be fixed, then there is nowhere else to go. We have to begin to rebuild the country by showing our children that they can work the way Sardauna and his team worked so that people like me could go to school almost free and we can become something.
“If the politics we are running are not conducive, change it, if the system we are operating is not producing good leadership, peace, and security, change it but do not walk away from the service of people who have no other people to look up to. For you by the grace of God, we will make Nigeria work so you can go to school and go to your farms without fear or hindrance.”
He congratulated the graduating pupils and advised them not to cheat but to work hard and learn to survive.
Prominent Islamic scholar, Shiekh Ahmed Gumi noted that the protest is a wake-up call to leaders on the need to assist the society to curtail lawlessness.
On his part, the chairman of the occasion, Professor Abdulsalami Nasidi charged northern leaders to educate the young ones as it is the cardinal point to reawaken the North.
He noted that nation-building starts from building the child adding, “We are facing social up time in the North, and one of the major ways out is by empowering, educating and ensuring children are groomed to become respectable members of society.
Executive Chairman of AMA Foundation, Musa Abdullahi charged the 20 graduating pupils to be good school ambassadors in their future endeavours and use the knowledge they have been impacted with to touch other lives in their communities.
(Nation)
