President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said the agitation of those wanting to secede from Nigeria would be surmounted by the might of the federal government, as the continuous existence of the country is not, and would never be, a subject of debate.
The President made this known at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, during the investiture of the institution’s 7th chancellor.

The Nigerian leader was apparently reacting to the campaign for Biafra's actualisation currently sweeping across the South-East and parts of the South-South.

President Buhari assured Nigerians that his administration had the ability to tackle the numerous security challenges that confront Nigeria, and warned those he called evil-planners to check themselves or face the consequences of their actions.

He added: “The security situation in the country entails that every Nigerian must discharge responsibility in bringing her back to peaceful coexistence.”

The president, who was represented by the Minister of State for Education, Professor Anthony Anwuka, urged all stakeholders to join hand with ABU in addressing its challenges and sustain the fame that the university earned both locally and internationally.

Speaking in the same vein, the new chancellor of ABU, Nnaemeka Alfred Ugochukwu Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, said the attitude of most upper and middle class Nigerians towards wealth accumulation was the cause of the present challenges that the country has found itself in.

The chancellor believed only strides towards restoring Nigeria’s core values of commitment to justice, equity, mutual respect and transparency would address challenges like the MASSOB, Niger Delta militants, Boko Haram, industrial strikes, armed robbery, kidnapping, ethnic rivalries and ntra/intra party tension.

The Vice Chancellor of ABU, Professor Ibrahim Garba, said the investiture of the Obi of Onitsha would deepen the unique character of ABU as the most liberal university in Nigeria.

•Adapted from a Daily Trust report.

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