President Muhammadu Buhari has advised
unemployed Nigerian graduates to avoid any form of corruption while
seeking employment and in any aspect of their endeavours.
The president gave the advice at the weekend while speaking at the
conferment of honorary doctoral degrees on four prominent Nigerians as
part of activities marking the 41st convocation ceremony of
postgraduate students of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU),
Ile-Ife, Osun State.
The President, who was represented by the Executive Secretary of the
National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Julius Okogie said the
level of unemployment in the country was high and assured unemployed
graduates that his administration would prioritise employment.
To the fresh graduates of OAU, President Buhari said: “As
representatives of your alma mater, you have a lot to contribute to
making this country a place worth living and reducing the brain drain
that has plagued us for many years.”
The president added: “A major point of concern is the need to redeem
our image in the comity of nations by a complete eradication of the
hydra-headed monster of corruption that has lived among us for several
years.
“At present, efforts are on-going and at top gear to recover national
treasures looted by various individuals and bodies in the past. I urge
you, and very strongly too, to shun corruption in its entirety in the
process of seeking jobs and in general living.
“Although living conditions in Nigeria are not yet optimal and at
par with developed countries, we are assiduously working towards it and
will get there with the cooperation of all and sundry.”
He added: “Embracing corruption will only take us backwards, soil our
good name and destroy our common heritage. I want to believe that I can
count on you to individually and collectively improve the image of the
country by being worthy ambassadors of your families and of this great
and noble institution.”
The president said his administration would spur several
entrepreneurship initiatives that would create an enabling environment
for job creators to not only thrive but excel.
“Promotion of local products, encouragement of exports, utilizing
indigenous raw materials, etc, are some of the avenues for this to
operate. As fresh graduates with multitude of invigorating ideas, you
are encouraged to send your proposals to the appropriate parastatals
and agencies.”
The ceremony witnessed a large turn out of academics and traditional
rulers like the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and the Etsu Nupe,
Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, who was recently appointed the chancellor of
the university.
Sun
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