Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani-Bello, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for degrading Boko Haram, restoring peace to the North East and furthering the course of national unity.

Governor Sani Bello stated this while receiving an Alumni award during a reunion, dinner, award and fund raising ceremony organised by University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) Alumni Association, at Transcorp Hilton Abuja.

“I am optimistic that Nigeria will ever remained one despite the daunting challenges. I commend President Muhammadu Buhari for degrading activities of Boko Haram insurgence in the North East.

The Governor who emphasised the need for huge investment in education at all levels, noted that UNIMAID was not just a ground for acquiring Knowledge, also a place for building enduring relationships that transient ethnic, religious and class divides.

“During my days at the University of Maiduguri our relationships with one another were not based on tribal, ethnic, religious or class differences,” he said.

Sani Bello revealed that education was one of the priority of his administration which he is implementing through Whole-School Approach Programme at both primary and secondary school levels.

“We inherited huge infrastructural deficient in the area of education. That is why one of the priority of our administration is filling infrastructural gap, in addition to capacity building.

“It is a deliberate policy where a substantial amount of money is being expended despite the meager resources to improve on the infrastructure and manpower in both primary and secondary schools,” he said.

Speaking earlier, UNIMAID Vice Chancellor, Professor Ibrahim A Njodi, who commended Governor Sani Bello and other alumni of the university, said the reunion was a time for sober reflection considering the security threats against the university.

The Vice Chancellor disclosed that despite security challenges the university has grown in student as well as academic and non academic population.

In a keynote address, the Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr Garba Abari, who spoke on “Imperative of National Unity: University of Maiduguri Model”, called on all Nigerians to always pursue the course of national unity adding that UNIMAID reflected the diversity of the Nigerian state because it has absorbed and produced graduates from diverse background.

Other recipients of the award included Governor of Borno, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, and his Abia counterpart, Dr Okezie Victor Ipeazu; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai, and Chief of air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar. Others were the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Ibrahim Njodi, former UNIMAID Alumni President, Dame Joy Okoro, among others.

Governor Sani-Bello was accompanied by Speaker, Niger State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Ahmed Marafa, Chief of Staff, Hon Mikhail Bmitosahi, Member, House of Representative, Dr Farouk, and Member, Kontagora 1, Niger State House of Assembly, Hon Mohammed Nurudeen Umar.

Also with the Governor were Former Member, House of Representatives, Hon Mahmood PRP, Chairman, Niger State CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme, Alhaji Mamman Ahmadu, and Alhaji Dalha Tofa, among others.

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