Jonathan Urges Youths To Shun Election Violence

President Goodluck Jonathan has called on Nigerian youths to shun any acts of violence, thuggery and other negative vices that might hamper the 2015 general election.

President Goodluck Jonathan

Speaking at the second convocation of the Nigerian Turkish Nile University, Abuja in where Governor Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe State and the Director General, State Security Service, Ekpeyong Ita, were awarded honorary doctorate degrees on Saturday, urged Nigerians to vote for credible candidates with proven ability for leadership.

"I would like to point out especially to our youths that the general elections are fast approaching, this calls for responsible engagement and participation" Jonathan said. "While encouraging you to vote for credible candidates of your choice, I urge you to shun all invitations to political thuggery or acts that can undermine free, fair and credible elections."

The president, who was represented by Suleiman Bagoro, the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, reiterated the Federal Government determination in winning the war against insurgency, and noted that terrorism was planned to mar the country's peaceful co-existence.

"These are trying times for our country, occasioned by the challenge of terrorism. Innocent lives are being wasted by some people who have chosen to undermine our cohesiveness as a people" he said. "They will not succeed, we are determined to win this war and win back peace which is prerequisite for our development".

He added that efforts were being made to stop the inequality between Bachelor’s degree holders and Higher National Diploma certificate holders in the public service, and went ahead to lament the over-dependence on paper qualification. He said the crux of his administration was to address the challenges facing the education sector.

"Our aim in government is to address comprehensively, the challenges facing the education sector. We must move the focus from the mere acquisition of certificates to the development and application of skills for which individual students are best suited" he said.

Responding, Ita, while commending the institution for the award pointed out that the challenge of nation building could only be made easier if tertiary institutions produced graduates that were academically and morally sound.

"This will most definitely redefine character, norms and the socio-cultural belief system of the society to one that is positively and progressively oriented for the growth, peace and development of the nation" Ita said.
Huseyin Sert, the Vice-Chancellor of the university in his remark said that the institution was aimed at enhancing bilateral relation between both countries, and noted that all the courses offered by the university have been accredited by the National Universities Commission, NUC.