Bello tasks youths on discipline, unity

Stories by Stanley Onyekwere

The FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello to be united, disciplined, honest, hardworking and very broad minded to accept others, irrespective of their tribe, religion, for the good of the society.
Bello particularly opined that there is need for the youths to rise above clannish tribal and ethnic sentiments and unite to work together for the benefit of the FCT and country at large.
The Minister, who made this point while playing host to FCT youths at his official residence in Life Camp, said the present administration is essentially holding forth for the youths.
He added that the progress, prosperity and tremendous transformation that is happening in the country is being done for the benefits of the youths.
According to him, “Most of us here are basically just holding forth for you. The strength, progress, prosperity and the tremendous amount of transformation that is going to happen in this country is going to be done during your time. So, what Mr. President and his team are doing now is basically to rediscover Nigeria for your benefit.
“It is to lay a very solid foundation so that it becomes easier for you to govern it, live in it and to provide all the benefits for the teeming population.
“Abuja as a city is something that many people from other parts of the world admire and cherish, we must therefore guard it jealously.
“If all of you put heads together and really unite as Abuja symbolizes, then when it is your time, you are going to govern over a country that will be solid, that will be prosperous and that is going to be the envy of all African nations and all nations of the world.”
Furthermore, the Minister charged youths resident in the FCT to continue to work towards improving the security and harmonious coexistence within the city to ensure it remains the city that cherished is by Africa and the wider world.
Citing a recent statistics that shows that a larger proportion of FCT population is comprised of youths, the FCT Minister implored the youths to guard a city very jealously, including its security, beauty as well as its harmonious inter-religious, inter-communal and inter-ethnic relationships.
Earlier in his remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Social Investment Programme, Barrister Ismael Ahmed, thanked the Minister for the honour and reception given to them by agreeing to host the youths to a special Ramadan breakfast dinner.
Ahmed, who commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the not too young to run Bill into Law, urged the FCT Minister to create more opportunities for youths to serve in the FCT Administration to also make them, “not too poor to run.”
“We hope that when you come back as Minister of FCT in 2019, the appointments into the FCTA will be full of young and vibrant people,” he said.
The SSA however advised residents to consider participating in elections in the FCT and not always running back home to their places of origin to cast their votes during elections.
According to him, “Whoever it is that resides in Abuja, we implore you not to be carrying your bags and your family to be going back home of origin to go and vote. Stay where you are to cast your vote.”