The President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has vowed to ensure the country remains one.
Jonathan, who spoke at the 2011 President’s National Youth Service Corps Award today in Abuja, said that he would not allow anything that would lead to the disintegration of the country.
To that end, he said he was prepared to stop anyone or act that poses a threat to the continued corporate existence of the nation.
He said: “It is in this light, and in relation to recent happenings in parts of the country, that I warn that any and all acts which fan the embers of discord and threaten the corporate existence of our nation will be vigorously checked by all lawful means.”
Jonathan urged all Nigerians, especially the youths, to shun acts capable of disuniting the country.
He said: “Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to seize this opportunity to appeal to all Nigerians, especially our dear youths, to shun any tendencies that only serve to distract us from the onerous task of facing up squarely to the security and development challenges which confront us at this time. From inception, our Administration has demonstrated absolute commitment to the promotion of democratic ideals and unwavering respect for the rule of law. By the same token, we expect that all stakeholder groups would operate within the ambit of the law at all times. Rights and privileges come with concomitant responsibilities.”
He said it was the exhibition of uncommon diligence, dedicated service and commitment to the common good that earned the awardees the honour, adding: “As an appreciative nation honours these deserving epitomes of the great productive and creative potential of our vibrant youth, it is my hope that their recognition today will inspire them, and all other youths of this great nation, to rededicate themselves to the ideals of selfless service and faith in a strong, united and prosperous Nigeria.
“On our part, this Administration is resolutely committed to providing the requisite enabling environment to allow our youth blossom and optimize their evident capacity to drive the national transformation agenda. That is why a key element of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE) is the provision of massive employment opportunities across the economy for our teeming youths.
“It is also noteworthy that the NYSC/MDGs War Against Poverty (WAP) initiative has led to the emergence of budding entrepreneurs in the agro-allied small scale industry as more than 1000 ex-corps members have accessed the investment funds provided under the programme.
“The Federal Government will continue to keep faith with the ideals of the NYSC scheme by providing the requisite support to enhance its capacity to deliver on its core mandate.”