President Bola Tinubu has reassured Nigerians his ongoing economic reforms were on the verge of yielding fruits to cushion the prevailing socio-economic challenges in the country.
He said under the Renewed Hope Agenda (RHA), the reform programmes were nearing the completion cycle to give way to a new era of prosperity, urging citizens especially graduates to avoid the temptation of seeking greener pastures outside the country.
He stressed that Nigeria could make its pastures equally as green or even greener.
The president made the appeal yesterday in his address to the 29th and 30th combined convocation ceremony of the University of Uyo held at the institution’s permanent ground, Nwanniba Road.
Tinubu who was represented by the vice chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof Owunari Georgewill, charged the graduands to be agents of change by utilising their knowledge and tools in solving societal challenges for the betterment of the country and the world at large.
He said, “As you go into the world, I urge you to be agents of change, using your knowledge and tools in uplifting our society and contributing to the growth and development of Nigeria and the world at large.
“I appeal to your sense of patriotism, imploring you to avoid the temptation of hurrying to look for greener pastures outside. We can make our pastures equally as green or even greener than those of other climes.”
While noting the current challenges facing the country, Tinubu said his administration was implementing measures aimed at mitigating their impact on the citizenry, especially the vulnerable.
The president lamented that despite the establishment of numerous centres of learning across tertiary institutions, outcomes of research efforts end up in the shelves of their respective authors.
He, therefore, charged universities to take the lead in championing demand-driven research that would contribute to the enhancement of human lives.
In his goodwill message, Akwa Ibom State governor, Umo Eno, who bagged a doctorate degree in Political Science (Public Administration) of the University, said
the conferment was “a testament to perseverance and faith in the unending and unchangeable possibilities that exist if you believe.”
The university’s pro-chancellor and the chairman, governing council, Prof Zubairu Abdullah, appreciated the president for introducing the students’ loan scheme and other reforms in the sector but lamented that the issue of land encroachment and land grabbing by neighbouring communities, and appealed for the construction of a perimeter fencing around the institution to curb the menace.
The chancellor of the University and Emir of Hadejia, Alhaji Abubakar Maje, while congratulating the graduating students for their successes, admonished them to relish in the rules and regulations which enabled them to reach the apogee of their careers in character and learning.
In his address, the vice chancellor of the university, Prof Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, said though the fallout from the overarching economic environment has limited the expectations of the varsity, the institution has made landmark achievements in nearly all aspects of developments.
He highlighted the achievements to include infrastructure development, and other major innovations including the establishment of the university’s printing press and bookshops.
He disclosed that the university has achieved over 90 per cent accreditation status with the remaining 10 percent having interim status.
‘’In all, over 90 per cent of our academic programmes have full accreditation while the remaining 10 per cent has interim. We are working hard to represent the interim programmes so far that we can have 100 per cent full accreditation.”
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