TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has called on Arewa Youth Council to promote and immortalise the legacies of Late Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of Defunct Northern Nigeria.
She made this known when the leadership of Arewa Youth Council (AYC), paid her a courtesy call in her office,yesterday in Abuja, while noting that such legacies would influence the performances of public officers in the country, especially in the north.
The minister who was represented by her Special Assistant on Youths and Women, Simisola Ayoade, affirmed that the level of insecurity in the northern Nigeria was a clear departure of the legacies of Sir Ahmadu Bello, who worked tirelessly to promote unity of northern Nigeria and the country at large.
In her words; “I am delighted that our youths especially from the north are beginning to come to the full realization that they are critical stakeholders in governance. I want to state unequivocally that the present level of insecurity, social vices and economic backwardness in some parts of the north is a clear departure from the legacies of Sarduana of Sokoto.
“Therefore, continue to promote and immortalise the legacies of Late Sir Ahmadu Bello, because such legacies will in no snall measure influence the performances of public officers in the country, especially in the north,” she stated.
While commending the leadership of AYC for the visit, the Minister identified education as key to breaking the yoke of drug addiction and other social vices among youths in northern Nigeria, just as she called on other youths to build one united nation.
Earlier , the President of Arewa Youth Council, Comrade Dogo Shagari, observed that despite Sardauna’s legacies, northern region has continued to embrace poverty, stressing that the northern states are behind every other states of the federation.
According to him, “We need something that will unite the north regardless of political parties or ethnicity. For many years now, no conscious efforts to fight poverty has been made commensurate to the growing population of the region.
“We need to unite to fight poverty and to get qualitative population needed to fight poverty alongside investment in education”.
The highpoint of the occasion was the conferment of “Icon of Peace/Nation Building” award on the FCT Minister of State.
