I confess to feeling inspired with every visit to this institution that shaped my perception of life and grounded my entire intellectual development. This intellectual development is not only a debt I owe to my teachers who have formed me but a challenge to me to go out there and influence society for the benefit of those to come. For this, I must say thank you! I thank my teachers, of the academic, the moral and even the political, who showed me the virtues of honesty and commitment to serving humanity.
And for the students who consider me a model worthy of their time and regard today, my gratitude to you is as large as our great institution. We are gathered under this shade today because somebody found the wisdom to lay the foundation for this institution. Ahmadu Bello University is an institution with a weight of history that challenges us to do justice to whatever comes our way. We learn, from this, that at any time in history, someone has to make a sacrifice for successive generations. Our diversity in this prestigious institution, across ethnicities, religions and regions, stimulated by remainders of the legacies of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardine of Sokoto, after whom our institution is named, instills an all-inclusive spirit in us such that we end up as tolerant and understanding wherever we find ourselves in private and public engagements. You must consider yourselves lucky for being a part of these distinguished Nigerians as among you I see future political leaders, advocates of change, captains of industry and technocrats--the hope of our country!
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