Kashim Shettima has attributed the recent vandalism of infrastructure and looting of public and private facilities in parts of the North to poor leadership, corruption, and widespread poverty in the region.
He expressed that the long-standing tolerance of these social issues has fostered a generation lacking respect for God and the rule of law, as evidenced by their participation in the nationwide protests against economic hardship.
Acknowledging the accumulation of these challenges as a major cause of the destruction of lives and property, Shettima emphasized the urgent need for a complete overhaul of the system.
His remarks were delivered at the graduation ceremony of 20 underprivileged students from Hau’wa Memorial School (HMS), owned by the AMA Foundation, where he was represented by his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmad.
He said: “For too long we have tolerated poverty, corruption, poor leadership and we can see the result, a generation that has come up that has no respect for God, for the law of the land, for the leadership and our values.”
He promised that the federal government would ensure Nigeria’s success so that future generations could benefit, just as past generations have from the legacies of the Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello.
He said: “In the last two weeks, the country has gone through difficult times mostly led by the youth, young people who are angry because they are hungry, young people who are angry because they do not see any prospects in becoming better than they are, young people who think government does not care about them, young people who have no respect for any authority in this country because they think every authority has let them down.
“Young people who are not afraid of hunger, not afraid of their parents, they are not afraid of the police, the army or anybody because they believe this country belongs to those who can drag and run, young Nigerians believe Nigeria is free for all.
“We created this situation, generations like ours, but we did not inherit it. The people who built Nigeria before our lives worked very hard and made sacrifices and tried to build a country through honesty and hard work.”
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