Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, has said that all Nigerians can come together and fight all national challenges facing the nation by submitting to unity and good reason, further supported by dialogue.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Pastor Ametie Ukpe, a copy of which was made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday, also quoted him as saying that it was achievable for Nigeria “to find a way out of the quagmire of ethnicity and come out a stronger and better country”.
It urged all citizens to rise up as one and fight the insecurity that has plagued parts of the country recently.
He advised universities to emulate the example of the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) by only graduating students worthy in both character and learning, and insisted that character should be prioritised in the assessment of students for certificate awards.
Governor Akpabio, who was one of the five persons awarded honorary doctoral degrees by the NDA on Saturday, was speaking on behalf of the other honourees after the award.
The other honorees were the Sultan of Sokoto, Senator Jubril Aminu; Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison-Madueke, and the National Security Adviser, General Owoye Andrew Azazi (retd).
In his speech, which pulsated with patriotic ethos, stated that it was possible for Nigeria to “find a way out of the quagmire of ethnicity, and come out of this cesspool of violence a stronger and better country.