University of Jos - Nigeria
A former Deputy Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria and a Guest Lecturer at the 2018 Biennial National Delegates Conference of the University of Jos Alumni Association, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia, has charged Nigerian leaders to create opportunities for the youth to excel in Nigeria. Obadiah gave the charge while delivering a lecture entitled “Our Country, Our Future: the Paths to Sustainable Growth and Development” at the University Auditorium by Law Faculty, Bauchi Road Campus. He said Nigerians must realize the need to industrialize and strengthen the Country’s economy in order to serve the youths and other Nigerians better.
Mailafia said Nigeria must continue to create opportunities for young people to excel through links with other world economies that will train and help create jobs for its teaming youth who constitute 70% of the country’s population. According to Mailafiya, the ‘Not Too Young To Rule’ bill is not a bad idea, but wonders how young people can afford to pay for Nomination Forms of political parties that have become so expensive.
Mailafia described the bad state of infrastructure, power and the number of unemployed graduates in the Country as unfortunate saying that the process of Nation building must be constructive and deliberate in investing on physical and human capital.
Dean Directorate of Student Affairs, Professor Ishmael Ogboru, said sycophancy has eaten deep into the Nigeria Economic system, and there is the need to rethink and restructure citizen’s attitude to work in order to recover the nation’s economy.
Ogboru said political campaigns should not be avenues for empty promises and advised the electorate to watch out and vote people with plans and purposes, suggesting that if possible, the salaries of politicians should be the same with civil servants while corrupt public officers should be severely sanctioned.
Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Seddi Sebastian Maimako, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Nelson Ochekpe, said the lecture was timely and appreciated Unijos Alumni for organizing such a programme for the Students. He commended the Guest Lecturer for a highly articulate presentation and the discussant, for his incisive contribution.
President, University of Jos Alumni Association, Alhaji Idris Yakubu, said the Lecture was one of the Association’s ways of giving back to the University. Yakubu appreciated the Guest Lecturer and the Discussant for taking out time to come and share from their wealth of knowledge.
Director, Alumni Relations, University of Jos, Mr. Samuel Caleb Mwansat, encouraged the delegates to actively participate in the Conference activities and use their spare time to visit the Naraguta Campus and hostels to remember the old times and see how the University had grown over time.