Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has praised his alma mater, the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), as being unique in the history of the country.
Jonathan spoke as the special guest of honour at the UNIPORT Alumni 80s Reunion Dinner and Award Ceremony in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, tagged “Celebrating Excellence & Service to Humanity.”
Represented by the chairman of the occasion, Godknows Igali, he said UNIPORT is the only university that has produced six governors, a vice president, and a president—all including himself.
He said the presence of the state governor, Alex Otti, who is one of them, shows intentionality in leadership, adding that the governor came prepared.
“Let governance in Nigeria take a cue from what Otti is doing in the state; the intentionality of leadership the leadership that was voted to make a change,” Jonathan added.
In a remark, Otti appreciated them for choosing Umuahia for the reunion, 12 years after they last met in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, during the Chibuike Amaechi era.
“We should not wait that long again to meet. The governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, will be willing to receive us next year, being also one of us,” he noted.
The governor, who encouraged them to join the political space, explained that partisan politics is not as bad as some of them thought, which had discouraged their participation.
He informed them that during their next visit, they would have the time to visit some of the 200 Primary Health Centers and 221 schools selected across the 184 wards, currently under reconstruction.
Furthermore, the governor declared that the allocation of 20% and 15% of the annual budget of his administration to the education and health sectors respectively totaling 35% was non-negotiable.
