The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima has called on Northerners to form a united and formidable force against the scourge of livery and destitution irrespective of their political leaning, religious beliefs, tribal or sectional interests.
The Vice President made this call when he received a delegation of Southern Kaduna stakeholder on an appreciative visit to the presidential villa on Tuesday.
The delegation of the southern Kaduna stakeholder which was led by Governor Uba Sanni visited the villa to thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for granting express approval for the establishment of Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, Kaduna State.
Vice-president noted that the people of the Northern part of Nigeria have no reason fighting and attacking themselves, nothing that the affinities that binds them together supersedes what divides them.
“Let’s unite and fight the scourge of poverty, destitution and backwardness.”
The vice president noted that the president has instructed the minister to capture the university in the 2025 budget so that the school can commence academic activities by September.
“We should learn to accommodate and embrace one another because, for us in the North, we are all united by our common heritage of poverty and destitution.
“The North is the poverty capital of the world. Of the 22 million out-of-school children, 20 million are from the North. So, we have no business fighting one another.
“We are essentially the same people. The Nok culture is one of the most celebrated cultures in Africa,” said Shettima
In the same vein, the minister of Education, Tunkji Alausa noted that the university would open new horizon and bring new opportunities for the youths and women in the state and across Nigeria.
“The president has mandated that the first set of students of the university should be admitted during this academic session.
“I have commissioned a team of senior staff at the Federal Ministry of Education as well as the National University Commission to go right there immediately to do the verification of the asset that is there,” said the minister.
