...extols FUOYE VC's giant strides Bamidele Eleniola
A former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Senator Kanu Godwin Agabi, SAN has urged the Federal Government to open its doors to allow wealthy individuals and moneybags to invest in Nigeria’s economy.
Ex AGF, Kanu Godwin Agabi, SAN
The former Minister made this call while delivering his acceptance speech on behalf of all honourary awardees at the 9th FUOYE Convocation ceremonies at the 1000-seater capacity Auditorium of the Ivory Tower on Saturday, February 22, 2025.
He said this was as a matter of urgency and concern for the economic growth of the country.
According to him, closing doors against the moneybags and those wealthy individuals abroad by limiting opportunities for these wealthy individuals to invest in Nigeria, the government would no doubt hinder its own progress and development.
He said: “The strict regulations currently in place, allowing moneybags to invest will greatly benefit the country’s economy. I want to suggest a desire for the government to reconsider its stance and prioritize the betterment of Nigeria’s financial state.
“It is by those sacrifices that those nations made that made them to invent those luxuries and we shall be able to attain those heights that they have attained. In fact, we can surpass those nations if only we can make the sacrifices that they are making now.
“We are great, Nigeria is a great nation. It is easily the greatest nation on earth if we just bend down and make sacrifices. We are not doing so now; we shall; we have hope, we must not despair, we have hope, we must not resort to violence, and we should not give way to greed and corruption.
“I just sat down here and heard of the achievements of this university in such a short time, and I said to myself, truly, we are a great nation; Nigeria is a great nation. It is better as it is from East to West, from North to South, Christians, and Muslims living together.
CEO, Air Peace, Allen Ifechukwu Onyema CON
“I am not an economist, but my native intelligence tells me that those who have money fear investing because the nation is going down all the time we are purchasing Dollars and hiding them in our houses; the government must encourage those who have money to bring them out and invest.
“We must encourage those who have money abroad to bring them home and invest it.
“The government must re-examine its approach and form those policies that are still fair to the people and discourage the use of money. I am saying this because we are talking about the Managing Director of First Bank and the CEO of Air Peace; this is about money. The government and Mr. President should encourage Nigerians who have money abroad to bring it back; those who have money in the country should invest it.
CEO, First Bank of Nigeria , Olusegun Alebiosu
“The government should refrain from those policies that instill fear in the people and discourage the programmes and policies that discourage people.
” This is a university’s way of encouraging youths not to dispair which institution is better qualified to do this than this university. This university provides proof that we are in a global community.
” You are here: students, professors, and other workers from East and West, North and South, Christians and Muslims are living in harmony for the common goal of humanity.
“One thing binds us: the quest for education; you don’t care about the darkness; you grow best in the dark, and you give us hope.
“This ceremony is the university’s way of expressing with a determination that we shall not celebrate corruption, incompetence, or violence. It is excellence that we shall celebrate; it is a life that we shall celebrate, and we shall celebrate hope.
“Whatever we do, do it with great hope, and that is what the university has been teaching and reiterating today at this convocation, demonstrating that this is not a nation out of which the Lord finds good view, and we are celebrating the nation.
We congratulate all those who are graduating today; we pray the Lord will keep and protect you as you go to service. And as you go, whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might because you have been faithful; the Lord has promoted you, and he has made this day.
“Be strong, be resolute in the events that you should neither be hot nor cold; the Lord will see you through. In the unlikely events, you should turn out to be underneath. The moment your certificate is handed over to you, your years of preparations are over, and your years of action are coming immediately.
“As for the undergraduate students, I want to tell you to attend to your studies, there is a time for everything. This is your time for study, this is your time for contemplation, this is your time for preparation, this is not your time for action, your time of action is coming.
Senator Agabi, however, appreciated the staff of the university, saying the importance of giving the students the best whether or not, the nation will be self-reliant, depending on a large extent on the education that the nation offers to our youths.
The university must teach not only the use of mind but also the use of hands as well. The studies that the university offers must be of great utility to the nation. Education must not render its recipient on faith for the particular duty of life as it is being done presently.
Meanwhile, No fewer than 8,444 students were awarded degrees across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels.
FUOYENEWS gathered that 177 First-Class graduates were specially recognized for their outstanding academic performance at the ceremony.
The highlight of the event was the conferment of honourary causa awardes to the following high dignitaries which included Kanu Godwin Agabi and Bayo Ojo, both former Attorneys-General and Ministers of Justice of the Federation; Mr. Segun Alebiosu, Managing Director of First Bank of Nigeria; and Dr. Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace Airline.
