70th Anniversary of Govt. College, Keffi. It is with gratitude to the Almighty God that I join you today at this occasion of the 70 Anniversary Celebraon of the Keffi Old Boys Association (KOBA) and Special Fund Raising, taking place here in the ancient town of Keffi.
I warmly welcome my colleagues, Your Excellencies, the Executive Governors here
present, who have found me out of their tight schedules to grace this historic occasion. Similarly, I welcome other distinguished guests from all walks of life to this epoch-making event. We are, indeed, honoured by your presence.
In the same vein, I especially welcome members of the Keffi Old Boys Association
(KOBA), who have come back home to further build on the legacy of our forebears.
I am impressed by the galaxy of personalities who are gathered here to witness the 70 Anniversary Celebration of this glorious institution of learning. There is no doubt that this center of learning has produced distinguished captains of the Nigerian enterprise in almost all facets of human endeavor and who have made their marks in the annals of our history. Let me mention with a sense of pride that this College has also produced the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in the person of Late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, GCFR, (Matawallen Katsina) of the blessed memory. We pray that Almighty Allah will grant him Aljannatul Firdaus. Amen!
Your Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, permit me to pay tribute to the vision and foresight of the founding fathers who established this institution seventy years ago as an educational nursery to raise future leaders and to serve as a leading light in academic, sporting and moral development. Indeed, the tree of knowledge which they planted has blossomed and we are today proud beneficiaries of their foresight and sacrifice.
It may interest you to note that when I visited this College few days ago to assess preparation towards this 70 Anniversary, I felt encouraged by the efforts of the Keffi Old Boys Association in giving back what the institution has offered them by constructing the road network to the instuon and other intervenons which have connued
to place Government College Keffi ahead of other institutions.
I, therefore, call on all alumni associations to emulate the example set by the Keffi Old Boys Association in turning the fortunes of the various institutions we were privileged to go through to become what we are today. This is the only way we can sustain the educational development of our dear State and, indeed, the country, considering the fact that Government alone cannot shoulder the huge responsibility of educating the citizenry for overall development.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me commend the initiative and foresight of the Keffi Old Boys Association (KOBA) in the construcon and christening of the e-Library after one of the old boys, Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, as ‘Yar’Adua e-Library’. This is a commendable honour considering his immense contribution towards the upgrading of the College. I note with appreciation that the e-Library edifice is one of the projects to be launched today.
I am confident that this event will go down as a major landmark in the history of educational development in this part of the country, in particular, and Nigeria as a whole, as we open a new chapter of institutional self-sustenance through a partnership arrangement between Government and Alumni Associations.
Let me state that the example of Government College Keffi reaffirms to us that education is the most fundamental social and economic enterprise which no individual, no family, and no nation, can afford to neglect and yet hope to survive and prosper. It remains the best investment for human development, economic growth, and social stability. Therefore, all hands must be on deck in ensuring that our children and youth receive qualitative education for self-development and progress. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, in line with the policy thrust of this Administration, we have taken deliberate measures in our determination to improve our educational sector for the overall development of the State. In this regard, we have accorded priority attention to education by providing our institutions with the necessary enablement
for effective teaching and learning.
Your Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I cannot thank you enough for personally attending this ceremony. Your presence at the occasion would no doubt
add value to our commitment to educational reform and development. I pray that this grand reunion of Keffi Old Boys Association will further strengthen the bonds of
brotherly interaction and unity among the Alumni and open a window of cooperation between the Association and the Government and the people of Nasarawa State.
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you all to Nasarawa State, the Home of Solid Minerals.
Thank you and may God bless us all.
