President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to addressing the challenges facing Nigerians, acknowledging the multifaceted socio-economic and political issues affecting the populace. This dedication was expressed during his speech at the 11th Convocation Ceremony of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Abia State, where four graduating sets were celebrated.
Delivering the message on behalf of Tinubu, Professor Garba Sharubutu, the Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), emphasized the President’s unwavering determination to alleviate the current hardships in the country. Tinubu’s resolve to find lasting solutions to the pressing issues demonstrates his active engagement in addressing the nation’s socio-economic and political concerns.
“Our policy instruments are being fine-tuned with the view to dealing firmly with the causes and not the symptoms of the problems,” he said.
“Mr. President promised that very soon the current exorbitant prices of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol would be “greatly reduced,” he added.
The president hinged his optimism on crashing fuel prices in no distant time on his belief that “very soon, some of our local refineries will start production.”
“He said part of the supplementary budget already approved by the National Assembly “will be applied to bring interventions at critical segments of the agricultural sector.”
On the persisting insecurity, which Tinubu identified as “a burden and a major challenge in Nigeria” the president assured the nation that “in no distant time, it will become history.”
However, he stated that his government needed sustained support and cooperation from Nigerians to realise the various solutions being g applied to address the present hardships.
“Bear with us and remain resolutely in support of this administration as we would leave no stone unturned in reversing the severe hardships that our people are currently passing through.”
Tinubu who expressed delight at performing his maiden duty as a Visitor to MOUAU, commended the institution for its exploits on academics and infrastructural development despite the many challenges facing the nation.
He underscored the critical role of the universities of agriculture in the nation’s quest for food security, which, he said, informed the establishment of additional universities of agriculture.
Tinubu urged private organisations to join hands with universities of agriculture “in forming partnerships and linkages to scale up agricultural research findings with a win-win target”.
“I strongly believe that we become a very strong nation by developing the natural, human, and material resources God has endowed us with,” he said.
In his address, the Vice Chancellor of MOUAU, Professor Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, announced that the combined 11th Convocation produced a total of 8,229 graduates at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, out of which 121 graduated with first class.
He said that under his watch, the university has achieved many landmarks in its digital transformation drive, research, infrastructural development, staff and students welfare, among others.
Maduebibisi, who is the 6th VC of MOUAU, noted that the institution “is still grappling with the challenges posed by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the instability of the academic calendar” caused by industrial unions.
He also identified the paucity of funds as “a major brick wall” to be surmounted hence “the critical need for substantial financial support to improve our environment.”
