The Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2019 polls, Mr. Peter Obi, has described Nigeria as a country that is not faithful to her youths. Obi was speaking Saturday during the convocation lecture of Veritas University, Bwari, Abuja.

The former Anambra Stat Governor, who was the convocation lecturer, after painting the true picture of state of affairs in Nigeria, submitted that the current crop of politicians in Nigeria, including himself, had, through failure to provide good leadership made the country unbearable for everybody and unconducive for survival for the new graduands.

He however gave the graduands and other Nigerian youths hope, saying: “Though Nigeria is tough, your education has equipped you for survival and competition with others. It is those that fail to explore their knowledge through creativity and innovation that would find things irredeemable and challenges unconquerable.”

Talking directly to the new graduands, Obi reminded them that their education would not guarantee them inheritances from their parents; could have guaranteed jobs, but that the jobs are non-existent; but guarantees them one thing: the ability to think outside the box at all times by employing their knowledge to conquer themselves, their environment and the world.

On the task before them, Obi said: “the tasks before you are enormous. Nigeria has been bastardized by my generation, all of us, you owe it to yourselves to restore the glory of the country. Today, our country is owing heavily, the states are owing, most of the debts are to be re-paid in 10, 20, 30 and 40 years’ time. At that time, some of those that plunged the country into the mess would have died and the task of rebuilding will rest squarely on you. I am telling you this for you to realise that the task of re-directing the destiny of this country lies with you and must be pursued with all sense of responsibility.”

Earlier in his homily during the mass, the Visitor to the School and the President of Episcopal Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Augustine Akubueze, thanked the students and staff of the institution for maintaining the standards for which Catholic institutions are known worldwide.

After exercising his duty of declaring the convocation open by the Chancellor of the school, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja Archdiocese, and after the convocation lecture, various classes of degrees were conferred on graduands.

Spread among five faculties, the school recorded 26 students that made first class, 141 Second class upper, 107 second class lower and 12 third class as well as 5 masters.

The event also witnessed the ground-breaking ceremony for the school’s Faculty of Law building named after Justice Chukwunwike Idigbe.

The Vice Chancellor of the school, Rev. Fr. Prof. Hyacinth Ichoku, assured that the school will continue to grow from strength to strength.

•PHOTO: The Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP, Mr. Peter Obi (right), with the Vice Chancellor of Veritas University, Bwari, Abuja , Rev. Fr. Prof. Hyacinth Ichoku( left), shortly before Obi delivered the convocation lecture of the university . . . on Saturday.

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