Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Saturday shared his reflections on the significance of education and service to humanity.
Mr Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice-President, in a statement said Shettima spoke at the 24th Combined Convocation Ceremony of the University of Maiduguri.
Shettima, who attributed his current position to the values instilled in him during his formative years as a student, inspired graduands and dignitaries with lessons learnt from the university.
While being conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree by the university, the vice-president said that he was a product of a civilisation that valued education.
Shettima said, ” I was born into the heart of a civilisation that favoured education. So, I entered a world where a map had been provided for me, the path of scholarship.
” Wherever I go and whatever I do, I am reminded of this noble heritage. Wherever I go, I realise that the noblest duty a person must undertake is to serve the people.
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“But, to serve humanity, one must train the mind, shape character, and find a purpose.
“This institution nurtured those aspirations, pointing me in a direction that has led me to where I stand today.”
The vice-president, who acknowledged the role of teachers and mentors in shaping his path, recalled their patience while imparting a great deal of knowledge to him.
” This homecoming is to express my gratitude for the lessons learned in the halls, the premises, and in the service of this esteemed institution.
” The choices I have made since being certified by this institution to pursue my dream have taken me to heights I could have only imagined.
” In each room and at every event, I find a reason to utter a prayer for the training acquired here. I am a child of a collection of patient teachers and mentors.
” So, I’m acutely aware that this honour is not mine alone to claim,” he added.
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Shettima said that it was a privilege to uphold the institution’s values, part of the reason, he said, he was deeply moved to accept the honorary degree.
He said, ” To you, I will always be a student, and with all the privilege to remind me of my ambassadorial duty to the university of Maiduguri.
” This is why I am excited that I am not here today for defying a code of conduct, for that would have meant that I failed as a flag-bearer of my alma mater.
” Receiving an honorary doctorate from the institution that has been instrumental in shaping one’s formative years can only signify that one has followed the path of an indescribable principle.
” However, this honour is neither for me nor for you alone; it is a grand testament to the equalising power of the education fostered here. ”
The vice-president said that the gathering symbolised collective aspirations as an institution.
Shettima said, ” Here, on the fine sands and under the lush trees of Unimaid, I was taught that education is the brick with which a purposeful life is built.
” However, the education in question isn’t what you cram to pass your examinations; it’s what you do with what you have learned.
” I am where I am today because I learned here that intellectual curiosity is the preservative of every enduring civilisation.”
On the security challenges faced by Maiduguri, he stated that even though the city was renowned for its fidelity to education, it had come under attacks and threats.
Shettima, however, said that in the face of the challenges, the Borno capital, Maiduguri remained resilient.
The Vice-President described the city as “a prime intellectual powerhouse, prepared for the disruptions of the era.
He, therefore, urged the graduands, those before them and the institution itself to become symbols of the privileges that a well-tailored education offers.
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Shettima also emphasised the importance of purpose in education, stating that the true value lies in what one does with acquired knowledge.
” Unless we strive to become the reference points of why this edifice exists and why our teachers labour to prepare us for tomorrow.
” We will never defeat the anarchists obsessed with dragging us back into the darkness that our ancestors devoted their lives to end.
” We must be the light of humanity, the hope of the downtrodden, and the rhetorical motivation of the skeptics,” he said.
While accepting the honorary doctorate degree, Shettima said he considered it as an invitation to greater responsibility
He pledged to stay on the track that favours humanity, drawing inspiration from the invaluable lessons learned at the university of Maiduguri.
Shettima said, ” I humbly accept this honorary doctorate. This, for me, is not a culmination but an invitation to greater responsibility.
” This, for me, is a reminder of the obligation I carry, alongside each one of us, to dedicate ourselves to the cause of the nation and to the service of humanity.”
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Aliyu Shugaba, who thanked the vice-president for gracing the occasion, acknowledged that Shettima has given much to the school.
He urged the graduands to be good and worthy ambassadors of the institution and counselled them to imbibe the spirit of entrepreneurship to enhance their livelihoods before picking up white-collar jobs.
” Every success in life brings with it challenges. You are graduating today, our nation is faced with myriads of problems.
” I believe the university has adequately prepared you to contribute to proffering solutions to these problems.
” The era when graduates look up to the government for answers to all problems is fast fading.
” I encourage you to specifically utilise your entrepreneurial training in the university to decide your employability status.
” Start an enterprise, no matter how small your capital or idea is,” he advised.
The vice-chancellor, who decried the current challenges bedeviling the university, appealed for more support for tertiary institutions across the country.
Also, Gov. Babagana Zulum of Borno, said that the state government was committed to supporting the institution in ensuring that its students contribute to the growth of the society.
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He expressed appreciation to the school for conferring what he described as a well-deserved honour on the vice-president.
Zulum observed that the honorary doctorate degree was a reflection of Shettima’s dedication to the development of the nation.
He commended the university for its unwavering commitment to shaping and equipping the students as part of their contribution to national development.
Zulum also applauded philanthropists such as business mogul, Alhaji Muhammad Indimi and Chairman of BUA Group, Abdulsamad Rabiu, for their unflinching support to the institution.
In attendance were the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Abubakar El-Kanemi; Governos of Yobe, Taraba and Nasarawa States, the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume and others. (NAN)