The Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) on Friday September 23, 2016 turbaned the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Prof Benjamin Ozumba the “Garkuwan Matasan Nigeria” ( Defender of Nigerian Youth), even as the group presented certificate of appreciation to the administration of the university for being fair and just to students from the Northern part of Nigeria.
In his address at the Vice-Chancellor's Conference room, where the ceremony was held, the Speaker of Arewa Youth Assembly Hon. Mohammad Salihu said that Prof Ozumba had demonstrated his interest in developing Nigerian youth by providing competent leadership at the University of Nigeria.
“We selected you as the most appropriate personality that should symbolise the resilience and the venturous spirit of triumph of the Nigerian Character”, he said.
Salihu described Ozumba as a man ahead of his generation and a leader who has placed Nigeria on the world map of educational development.
“We selected you as the most appropriate personality that should symbolise the resilience and the venturous spirit of triumph of the Nigerian Character”, he said.
Salihu described Ozumba as a man ahead of his generation and a leader who has placed Nigeria on the world map of educational development.
He noted that the Vice-Chancellor “represents a model of decency and sanity to Nigerian youth.”
The Speaker called on Nigerian leaders at various levels to pay attention to the plights of the youth in order to stem the tide of insecurity, and other social vices in the country.
“It is our candid opinion that our leaders should apply the late Sarduana and Ziks legacies as blueprint for change in Nigeria polity” Salihu said that the blueprint “will involve taking deliberate action steps to have moral rebirth, establish necessary and critical institutions, improve local contents and unite the components and segments of all jurisdiction”
He noted that Nigeria’s founding fathers laid good foundation that provided leadership opportunities for the youth. He however lamented that the present situation in the country had relegated the youth to observers of political events and gullible pawns in the hand of politicians. While presenting the certificate of appreciation to the administration of the university, Salihu noted that AYA had observed, over the years, that the University of Nigeria had never discriminated against or intimidated students from northern part of the country who are studying in the university.
“UNN is a national pride which all Nigerians should feel proud to associate with, UNN belongs to all Nigerians”, he said.
In his response, the Vice-Chancellor thanked Arewa Youth Assembly for encouraging selfless leadership. He described the group as partners in progress with the University of Nigeria, stating the determination of his administration to ensure that Nigerian youth are properly empowered through sound education. Ozumba, who recently received the 2016 Kwame NkrumahAfrica Leadership Award and the Best South-East Vice-Chancellor of the year Award by All Africa Students Union and South-East Council of Students respectively, advised the youth to hold on to their dreams and shun any act of violence that would mortgage their future.
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