Jonathan Solicits Support To Reposition Varsities

Nigerians have been called upon to join hands with the Federal Government in its ongoing efforts to refocus  and reposition the nation’s universities to enable them face the challenges of the current technological  and knowledge driven age to meet the demands of the country.

President . Goodluck  Jonathan, who made the call Saturday in his address at the 40th convocation ceremony of the University of Nigeria  Nsukka (UNN), said that his administration was not unmindful of the need to give the youths of this nation access to tertiary education.

Represented on the occasion by the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu  Ahmed Rufai, Dr Jonathan  explained that it was that zeal that informed the decision of the federal government to approve  the citing of  six new universities in the six geographical zones of the country,  especially , states that do not have any federal  university.

These universities, he further said, would commence academic activities  at the shortest possible time, hopefully before September this year, urging all  stakeholders in education to intensify efforts toward  making every university in Nigeria nationally relevant and globally competitive.

Turning to the graduands, President Jonathan said: “Let me remind you that the university , and indeed , the entire nation expects you to  live up to the highest standards of conduct, performance and productivity in your various endeavours.  I enjoin you to use the spirit and the traditions imbibed during your sojourn in this university to work hard to restore the dignity of the black race and that of our nation, Nigeria “..

He also used the occasion to advice the students not to allow themselves to be used as thugs by politicians,  urging them to be key drivers in the development of the nation.

In his own speech,  the Vice Chancellor of UNN, Prof. Bartho  N. Okolo, regretted that the same era of dilapidated and inadequacy are also apparent in the state of municipal infrastructure such as roads, water and power generation and distribution networks within the campuses.

: “When viewed alongside the run-down environment in which many buildings and spaces needed  landscaping, while roads and lawns were under the constant threat of erosion, the task ahead became clearer”, the UNN V-C declared.