CIVIL WAR DREW NIGERIA 40 YRS BACK –CLERIC

By NBF News

The Nigeria civil war of 1967 - 1970 has been described as one that drew the country 40 years back.

Rev. Chuks Alozie, head, media and publicity of Jubilee 2010 who stated this at the 2010 valedictory service of Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, said he was optimistic that after October 1, 2010 things would change for the better in the country.

He stressed the need for present political leaders to work hard to make up for the lost years.

'The civil war took 40 years of our independence. But after 1st of October this year, things would change. There must be a way out after the 50th anniversary celebration. Corruption must be stamped out in our national life,' he said

Alozie advised Nigerian students to come out en masse and register in the forthcoming voters registration exercise, saying it was by so doing they would be able to vote in people who would steer the ship of the nation well.

Describing president Goodluck Jonathan as a jubilee president, the clergyman said it was the will of God that Jonathan would lead Nigeria into the jubilee and post-jubilee era and urged all to support him.

The rector of the polytechnic, Elder Alwell Onukaogu said the service which was held twice yearly, was a way of giving back to God what he has given staff and students of the institution.

'The service is also very important, aside thanking God, we use it to build up the students spiritually because we cannot teach them intellectually and forget their spiritual life'

He also used the occasion to inform of plans to start core engineering and informatics programmes in the institution by next academic year in addition to reconstruction of internal roads in the polytechnic.

Onukaogu commended students who brought honours to the institution in different fields and promised to always reward such students.

In a sermon entitled, 'moral integrity the hallmark of patriotism'', the counselor of the polytechnic, Rev. Azu Oko lamented that despite the establishment of anti corruption agencies, corruption was waxing stronger and even assumed official dimension and urged political leaders to stand for justice.

' There are a lot of potentials in that bill when it is put into actions. we will benefit a lot from it' stressed the governor, disclosing that a committee will be set up soon to manager it.