Posted by By LUCKY NWANKWERE, Abuja on
President Umaru Yar'Adua on Tuesday said he had no choice but to succeed as president of the country having had dedication to duty and a high sense of responsibility bequeathed to him as legacies in his youth. He restated his resolve to give the educational sector the attention it requires.
President Umaru Yar'Adua on Tuesday said he had no choice but to succeed as president of the country having had dedication to duty and a high sense of responsibility bequeathed to him as legacies in his youth. He restated his resolve to give the educational sector the attention it requires.
The president gave this assurance when he received his secondary school classmates at the Government College, Keffi, Nasarawa State, who paid him a solidarity visit in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, promising he would acquit himself creditably as the country's number one citizen.
Displaying high spirit, the president told his classmates he would do his best to live up to the high standards of responsibility and dedication to service imbued in him as a student at the school.
"Besides the burden of office, I also carry the burden of performing up to your high expectations. I have no choice but to ensure that I acquit myself creditably as president. Dedication to service and a high sense of responsibility are legacies bequeathed to us by our school and I have to perform well to uphold its honour," he stated.
The President further assured the delegation that his administration would fulfill its promise to give priority attention to the resolution of problems and difficulties currently bedeviling Nigeria 's educational sector.
President Yar'Adua said it was his belief that all those in positions of authority have a responsibility to ensure that the present generation of youth in the country receives a comparable or better standard of education than what was available to them decades ago.
" Government College, Keffi products are now at commanding heights in all sectors of our country. We have a duty to educate our youth as well as we were educated," he further stated.
He thanked the delegation for the visit and their words of encouragement, saying the reunion with his friends and associates at the college between 1965 and 1969 had made his day.
In their address, presented by Alhaji Abubakar Gimba, the president's classmates commended the seven-point agenda of his administration and his avowed commitment to giving priority attention to education as well as security of lives and property.
"You have climbed to the top of the mountain with a heart of oak, the resilience of an Iroko, the patience of the camel and the calm courage of a lion. You have a clear vision and you have defined your goals. Sitting at the top is a daunting challenge, but you are doing fine and you are on course. We are all prepared to stand by you and your success will be our pride," they said.
Asked what kind of student President Yar'Adua was, one of his room-mates, Alhaji Ishaq Hadejia described him as stubborn, pointing out, however, that the stubbornness manifested in the things he believed so much in.