From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has donated two bulls, 10 rams, and N1 million to members of the National Youth Service Corps serving in Daura, Katsina State, for the Sallah celebration.
Buhari, in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, advised Nigerian youths to look beyond culture, ethnicity, and religion in relating with one another, urging them to engage in more travels, mingling, tolerance, and negotiations to appreciate the country’s rich diversity.
The president, who welcomed members of the NYSC serving in Daura to his country home, stated that regular interaction and a broader view of Nigeria as a whole would improve relationships, particularly among the youths.
“Thank you so much for coming to see me. I have been away from home since Sallah celebration a year ago. And my attention has been on Nigeria, which is bigger than my town.
“Every time I meet former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, I always thank him for the NYSC, which helps people to move all over Nigeria.
“Before the NYSC there were people who had never moved out of their locality,” he said.
The president noted that the scheme has broadened many people’s horizons and reduced tensions and misunderstandings between strangers over the years.
“When I joined the army, I was posted to Abeokuta and then Lagos. And I have travelled all over Nigeria,” he added.
He encouraged the youth corps members to continue broadening their perspectives on life and opportunities, and to avoid the limitations of culture, ethnicity, and religion by exploring technology to network, even across borders, to ensure personal development and a more competitive means of livelihood.
In his remarks, the Corps Liaison Officer (CLO), Douglas Damina, thanked the president for encouraging sustenance of the NYSC, promoting youth inclusiveness and empowerment.