By Egena Sunday Ode
The Federal Government has renamed the completed Institute of Petroleum Studies, Kaduna, as the General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua University of Geological Sciences and Engineering Technology.
President Bola Tinubu announced this in his Democracy Day speech while honouring heroes of the June 12 struggle. He paid tribute to Chief M.K.O. Abiola, Kudirat Abiola, Gani Fawehinmi, Bola Ige, Beko Ransome-Kuti, and others “whose sacrifices helped secure the freedoms we enjoy today.”
Tinubu also released a list of Nigerians to receive national awards for enduring persecution, exile, and incarceration during the pro-democracy struggle. The list includes journalists, activists, lawyers, and “soldier-democrats” like Major General M.A. Garba and Brigadier Yahaya Abubakar, the current Etsu Nupe.
Tinubu also asked Nigerian youths to stay and build the country, saying “every great nation was built by those who stayed to solve problems, not by those who abandoned ship.”
He charged young people to “build here, code here, work here, and vote here,” calling Nigeria their home and future.
The president linked insecurity partly to “the collapse of grassroots governance” and said his administration is pursuing financial autonomy for Nigeria’s 774 local councils. “The Renewed Hope Agenda is about ensuring that all Nigerians benefit from governance,” he said.
He added: “Let us move forward together, rejecting division, cynicism, and despair; embracing unity, hope, and confidence.”
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