A former Minister of Defence, General Theophilous Danjuma (retired), who was on Saturday conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Science at a special convocation ceremony of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has warned that the activities of the Boko Haram sect, kidnappings and other social vices in the northern part of Nigeria were drifting the region into a civil war and anarchy.
Former Minister of Defence, General Theophilous Danjuma (retired)
Speaking shortly after he was conferred with the doctorate degree, General Danjuma said the current security and developmental challenges facing the country and the north in particular have become worrisome that if not properly addressed on time could lead to anarchy and lawlessness.
The former minister advised leaders from the region to stop apportioning blame to each other but to instead come together and find solutions to some of these challenges.
He thanked the management of ABU for honouring him and commended them for sustaining the academic excellence which the institution was known for.
General Danjuma was the only awardee at the special convocation which coincided with the university’s N50 billion phase two development fund raising.
The special convocation ceremony was a follow up of the university’s 50th convocation held in November 2012 where the retired Army General was among those honoured. However, due to his absence at the occasion last year, Saturday’s event offered him the opportunity to receive the award.
On his part, former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (retired) who chaired the occasion said the country cannot overcome her security challenges unless the issue of education is properly addressed, adding that educational backwardness of the north has become very worrisome and as such, must be corrected if the region must come out of its present state.
General Babangida asked Nigerians to ensure that governments at all levels take the issue of education seriously, stating that no nation can make any meaningful progress when a large number of its citizens are not educated.
Also speaking at the occasion, President Goodluck Jonathan who was represented at the occasion by Vice President Namadi Sambo, identified the problem of access to university education by the teeming youth in the country as one of the many challenges facing the education sector.
He disclosed that the present administration has commenced the process of breaching this gap by building more universities across the country.
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