The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has recommended Governor David Nweze Umahi for Presidency come 2023 General elections.
The National President of NANS, Comrade Sunday Dayo stated this during an emergency conference of the Association at the Christian Ecumenical Centre Abakaliki on Friday.
He said the endorsement was informed by the Governor’s modest achievements which cut across all spheres of human existence saying the Governor’s emergence will bring more fortunes for Nigerian people.
Comrade Dayo commended Governor Umahi for his student-friendly policies saying all Nigerian Students would rally round him to achieve the target.
“Your Excellency, you have been called the most student friendly Governor, the National Association of Nigerian Students which has the population of over forty one million Nigerian Students across home and diaspora have conferred on you the Governor of Nigerian Students, your Excellency, my State is at the back of Ebonyi State”
Responding, Governor Umahi thanked NANS for the choice of Ebonyi State for their conference and experessed happiness for witnessing the event.
“The truth is that I love the youths, when I see a young man that is doing very well, I feel so much fulfilled, I am so excited by the number of disciplined and well dressed youths that gathered here, when I listened to the Senate President speak, I became more proud about the future of this country, I think you have dwelt so much in the job of follow follow, it is time to take the future in your hands, you are leaders and great leaders, you have got to believe in yourselves. I believe in our students, after the COVID-19, our Government decided to reduce school fees in our Higher Institutions, even though our fees in Ebonyi State was the smallest in the entire Country but this was to alleviate the problems of our parents. We decided that you have twenty four hours light in Ebonyi State University in both campuses, we also felt that there should be water running throughout, we will be achieving 100% before the end of April. If you do not stand up to prepare a place for your children, your children will suffer more than you, you are struggling and if you don’t take time, your generation will not take leadership, you got to say no to that”
He said the Government is also sowing to the prosperity of Ebonyi Youths through the King David Gifted Academy which gives gifted Ebonyi children world Class training to enable them be self reliant and become employers of labour on graduation.
“Everything about them is taken care of by the Government, in Junior WAEC, we want 200 students to make all ‘A’, it will happen, the product of the school, some of them will school outside Nigeria, Government will take care of their school fees until they go and come back, Catholics have taken over the school, they are running the school”
The Governor noted that his administration was poised to forestall Medical tourism among Nigerians and provide jobs for Ebonyi Youth through the state of the art Ebonyi State College of Medicine Uburu.
“We are Building Centre of excellence in the name of College of Medicine, we have center where they will do kidney transplant, we have Centre for cancer, we have Centre for eye treatment and there is what we have that is in no where in Africa, it is a Centre that is producing dalyzers, it is not in anywhere in Africa, all these equipment, we have paid for 90% of them”
He announced that inter school sports competition would soon start across the State as a way of engaging the youths in productive ventures and harnessing budding talents.
“We are starting our famous inter school sports, it is the product of EndSARS Protest, it will soon start and so our students are going to be very busy again, you are the one that will be designing the bridges that we ply on, if we do not take proper care of you, how can you take care of us”
While insisting that the problem of the Country was not Mr. President, Governor Umahi charged leaders across the country to be patriotic and take the interest of the youth as a priority.
“What the Government needs to do is to create the environment, I do not give people fish, I teach them how to fish, Ebonyi State have construction sites, the Women are working, the youth are working, if you want the nation to develop, build roads, be a gift to the world, if you are such a gift, the world will be looking for you”.
He encouraged the youth to avoid being used for kidnapping, cultism and other Social vices but strive to become useful members of the Society.
“When you partake in killing, killings will flow in your generations for whatever a man soweth he shall reap, we must say no to recklessness”
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Religious and Welfare Matters, Reverend Father Abraham Nwali urged the students to always strive to be the best in their endeavors to become great leaders of tomorrow.
