By 

Shehu Shagari,

President of Nigeria (1979-1983) 

December 30, 2004

Acceptance speech at his conferment with a honorary doctorate degree by the Igbinedion University, Okada. 

 

This day and this pleasant place by the grace of God provide for all of us the chance to meet and to rejoice 

over some of the remarkable achievements of a unique achiever. For me and perhaps for some of us here this is 

the first time we have visited Okada. Okada is now a household word in Nigeria; so any Nigerian who has not 

been to Okada must be missing a very important lesson in life. Here in the birthplace of Chief Igbinedion 

are some of the monuments created by this great man, not for himself or family but for the general good of 

all in Edo State and beyond. One of these monuments in this citadel of learning the Igbinedion University 

established for all of us to benefit from, in one way or other. Today, one of the beneficiaries has come 

from far away Sokoto to be honoured among so many other awardees including graduates and distinguished guests 

from far and wide. May I on behalf of them all humbly thank you most sincerely Chief, the Vice Chancellor, the 

Senate and the entirestaff of this university for your kind gesture, which we shall never forget.

If I may be allowed to elaborate on the lessons we should learn from Okada we must start by trying to study and 

emulate the Chancellor of this university who by sheer determination started from humble beginnings to build 

himself up into a giant entrepreneur, tactician, politician and above all a great philanthropist of the first 

order. In all his numerous pre-occupations he has maintained close contact with his birthplace Okada and tried 

to build it to fame just as he did to himself and his family. For all persons with ambition to be great, this is 

the person to emulate. So over to you students, graduates, postgraduates and many others who aspire to greatness, 

your role model is indeed Chief Igbinedion, may his shadow never grow less!

The establishment of this university is the result of a successful and triumphant challenge and commitment to 

build a reputable educational institution that will be one of the increasing and necessary efforts to build a 

cadre of competent manpower to man the several facets to our national development and growth. I congratulate Chief

Igbinedion, Esama of Benin Kingdom, for your dream and achievements in establishing this institution. You, the 

academic and non-academic staff are helping to build this nation to greater heights by preparing these many 

students for the challenge of the future.

I congratulate you all -- the Esama, teachers, students and others alike -- that you have accepted and embarked on

the noble challenges of nation-building, accepting in your various ways the graphic call of the young President 

John Kennedy in his inaugural address: "As not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your 

country". It was a challenge President Kennedy asked of his fellow Americans but today it is a universal challenge

to humanity as a whole, particularly in an age that is threatened by hunger, insecurity and violence. The reasons 

for the general unease and widespread poor level of living lie in people's potential disappointment about a denial

of basic human rights, economic injustice and social insecurity.

We here in Nigeria have had our own share of violence. We as a nation went through the crisis and tragedy of the 

secessionist attempt of a unit of our nation. Now, the tragedies of armed robberies and of other damnable social 

ills that we cannot be proud of nor can we or should we leave as an inheritance to future generations. All these 

eat deep into the fabric of our existence as a healthy society with treasured values because they deplete even our 

meagre resources to tackle the massive construction and services we face as a nation. Every facet of our existence 

remains challenging in order to improve the quality of life.
I cannot be emphatic enough in expressing the need for peace. The world honoured us a nation for our role against 

the evil apartheid, racism and in the independence of the continent. We as a nation pursued these objectives 

without violence. We will still continue to pound on the facade of hypocrisies, injustice and fight for our human 

dignity, not in violence but with negotiations and convictions. Think of our past heroes in the fight for our 

nationalism. Think of the life of Martin Luther King Jr and his victory through his non-violent pursuit of civil 

liberties for his fellow Americans. Think of Mahatma Gandhi and his immortal charges and campaigns to make India 

free and become independent.

Similarly, you should not be defeated. Do not be discouraged. I call on youths all over the country, particularly 

those in the angry areas of our country not to allow themselves be victims of violence. Violence is not the 

religious way. It is not the Christian way. It is not the teaching of Islam. And not even of the traditional 

beliefs and religions of your forefathers whose treasure for peace and energies at development and growth enabled 

them build great cultures and civilisations such as the Benin Kingdom which astounded Europe and Europeans when 

they first reach Benin. Let us continue to embrace and cultivate the culture of peace, not violence.
I need not remind you, this august audience of brilliant young men and women, young leaders of tomorrow, political 

leads, lawyers, administrators and top class civil servants of tomorrow of our great nation, that you may claim to 

seek justice for many years of neglect, particularly in the Niger Delta area, source of our nations major material 

wealth, but remember that violence destroys the work and hopes of justice. peace and justice cannot be achieved by 

violence.
Only two years ago, the world witnessed the tragedy of the "September 11" bombing of the Trade Centre building in 

New York in the USA. It was a tragedy and horror that I never imagined would occur in our age. I felt even more 

stunned when some claimants were reported to justify their act on the teachings of their religion, Islam. That was 

a terrible and false claim. Islam abhors violence and nowhere in the Holy Qur'an is violence justified.

Ironically, nationals from different parts of the world lost their lives in that monstrous tragedy -- Americans, 

Europeans, Africans, South Americans were all victims from all over the world. it is with all these examples in 

mind that I must repeatedly appeal to our fellow Nigerians from all parts of the country, north and south, east 

and west, majority and minority tribes, that violence is not the solution to perceived and real injustices.
The tragedies in Plateau against moslems and retaliatory events in Kano and other places were monstrous tragedies 

for Nigeria and all Nigerians. Ask yourselves, did those violent atrocities achieve any justice? We have had our 

civil war when a part of the nation tried to secede. Think of the hundreds and thousands of the victims of that 

tragedy that could have been saved by peaceful discussions through the path of justice and peace. Unfortunately, 

it is helpless and innocent people women and children and old men who suffered most for the errors of the advocates

of war and violence while such leaders revealed in luxury but the masses they claim to lead and represent were the 

expendable puns in the rhetoric and embrace of violence.

I think of all the pains and human tragedies and losses that have been caused by bigotry and inter-ethnic 

conflicts that consumed our energies and retarded our progress in trying to achieve a truly unified nation. 

Professor Eric Lander at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in his researches has confirmed that All 

human beings are more than 99.9 per cent alike genetically. That is an incredible research finding, scientifically 

confirming the greatness of God Almighty. God Almighty did not create one tribe or group of people superior to 

others. Why then the spurious claims and tragedies of "ethnic cleansing" which some of the conflicts have 

degenerated to? Why all the hate-crimes? Was it because of ethnic superiority or religion? If so, then, the 

perpetrators were far from the lessons of Christianity -- "Though shall not kill" -- or those from Islam. 

Almighty God in the Qur'an was quite emphatic: "Let not a people's enmity towards you incite you to act contrary 

to justice:be always just, that is closet to righteousness."

We moslems, by the grace of God, have just gone through the month of Ramadan, and the lessons of greatness of His 

Supremacy, Benevolence and mercies. Next month, Christians will celebrate the birth of Christ. Let the lessons of 

peace and non-violence be propagated and practised by all in this great nation, Nigeria. Before closing I wish to 

reiterate my firm belief in the need for each and everyone of us in this country to contribute his/her own quota 

towards the task of building this nation called Nigeria which belongs to all of us. There is a world of difference 

between building and breaking. While the former is difficult but rewarding the latter is seemingly easy but 

disastrous.

I urge all sensible Nigerians wherever they are to rededicate themselves to the service of their fatherland so that 

we all can join hands together in unison to unify and solidify the nation which is the envy of many other less 

fortunate nations in Africa and the rest of the developing world.

Those who talk glibly about the idea of breaking this complicated yet wonderfully reliable structure do not 

realise their folly until they attempt to break it. They will find to their chagrin that the overwhelming majority 

of Nigerians are ready as always to confront them. Nigerians are eager to participate not only in re-enforcing the

impressive edifice known as Federal Republic of Nigeria but also to tenaciously defend it if and when necessary.

I call upon all Nigerians, not only to abhor separatist tendencies but also to strongly condemn the sinister idea,

which would do no one any good at all.

By the grace of God Nigeria is destined to be a great nation; a melting pot of diverse peoples and cultures, 

a haven for democracy, human rights and peaceful co-existence. Yes, we can make it despite all the odds which 

with goodwill, understanding renewed determination and vigor we can overcome. I call on you all, my co-graduands 

and youth everywhere in our dear nation, to look forward to and work for the great future that lies ahead. Employ 

all your resources and talents to enables us bequeath to you and our future generations a noble inheritance. do 

not be tempted by the tragic emptiness of the worship of money and the deep evil and destructiveness of corruption.

In the final analysis, in the words of the great Athenian leader Pericles over 2,500 years ago:
One's sense of honour is the only thing that does not grow old, And the last pleasure, when one is worn out 

with age, is not, as the poet said, making money, but having the respect of one's fellow men.