Northern Coalition Tasks Students On Leadership

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has charged Nigerian students to embrace responsible leadership and reject drug abuse, thuggery, hate speech and divisive tendencies, warning that such vices threaten the future of the country.

The call was made at a public lecture held at Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kano, with the theme: “Building Responsible Student Leadership: Combating Drug Abuse, Thuggery, Hate Speech and Campus Disunity Through Positive Values and Mentorship.”

At the event, CNG’s national coordinator of CNG, Jamilu Aliyu Chiranchi, described the lecture as a national assignment aimed at shaping the mindset and values of young Nigerians. He said tertiary institutions were not only centres for academic learning but also platforms for grooming future leaders who would determine the direction of the nation.

Chiranchi cautioned students against drug abuse and hate speech, noting that both had become serious threats to campus harmony and national unity. He urged them to resist politics based on tribe and religion, stressing that leadership selection should be guided by competence, integrity, capacity and a proven track record of service.

He recalled the historic role of Nigerian students in the struggle against colonialism and military rule, saying the democracy currently enjoyed in the country was largely a product of students’ sacrifices. According to him, students must once again rise to defend national unity and democratic values.

Chairman of the occasion, Dr Salisu Mohamed, lamented the gradual marginalisation of youths in leadership and the growing menace of drug abuse, which he said had derailed many from productive academic and social lives.

He emphasised discipline as the foundation of societal progress, warning that without conscious efforts to mentor and mobilise youths, the country risked losing a generation of future leaders.