As part of activities marking Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary and his 59th birthday, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, on Tuesday, reached out to some internally displaced persons at Kabusa community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Speaker, who led a delegation comprising the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu; Chief Whip, Hon. Usman Bello Kumo, and other members of the House to the IDPs’ camp, said he was moved by their plight.
He gave out a total of 1,000 bags of 10kg rice, 200 cartons of noodles, over 800 pieces of clothes for men and women, as well as bedsheets, supported by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
“When we were growing up, there was no such thing as private school because everyone, including the Emir, the Commissioner, the Minister and the biggest business tycoon in the town had to take their children to the available public schools, everyone was interested in what happened there. And for that reason, there was strict and adequate supervision of the teachers and those running the schools, which was why the standard was very high. But today it’s a different story altogether because even government officials no longer take their children to public schools due to the proliferation of private schools and the decline of standard in public schools,” Speaker Abbas said.
Advising the displaced persons, he said, “You have to imbibe the culture of hard work if you want your patriotism to impact on Nigeria. However, the current generation is a smart one that likes to use the shortcut to success without following due process. So please try to pay attention to details and follow due process. Also believe in yourself and work hard. It worked for me.
“When you love your neighbor the way you love yourself, relate with others the way you want them to relate with you, then your patriotism is well on its way to fruition. I look at every Nigerian, male or female, as one and the same. I look at your character as a factor for a good and purposeful relationship”.