By Saio Marrah
The Deputy Minister of Justice, who doubles as the National Secretary General of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP), Umaru Napoleon Koroma, has addressed university students on the role they can play in nation-building/national development, during a public lecture at the Canadian College of Modern Technology on Thursday 29th July, 2021. Koroma defined national development as “the all-round and balanced development of different aspects and facets of the nation,” which according to him, include political, economic, social, cultural and scientific.
He noted that nation-building is often used simultaneously with state-building, democratization, modernization, political development, post-conflict reconstruction and peace- building.
He said it is the duty of the students to impact the nation with the knowledge and skills they had acquired, noting that the future of any country depends on its students. He said a country’s name and fame rest in the educated youths. “You are the real treasure of a country”, Koroma pointed out.
He also noted that if the power of young men or students got directed to constructive purposes, the whole nation will move to all round development.
He said naturally, students are important part of nationhood because they are young, energetic, and vibrant and who can easily achieve a lot and do many things for the society. He observed that they have the power to transform a nation to a better place and have the ability to lead their fellow citizens in the right direction.
In an inspirational message, he noted: “A good seed always grow to a good tree, and only a good tree can give a good fruit. A student will eventually become a good citizen; good citizen will make a better society.”
Koroma urged the students to be well- equipped with sound moral, political and economic views, and challenged them to have a desire to win, have the courage to do things, and wisdom to understand and unravel the problems.
He therefore called on all stakeholders to ensure that students are disciplined and that they are not misled by anti-national forces.
He also admonished students to develop good manners and purity of life and that they should not only follow the intellectual knowledge, but moral as well.
The Deputy Minister of Justice also noted honesty as the best policy and hard work, the only key to success, and believed that if the students are good, then the country will be good as well.
He said for students to prepare for the future, they should avoid societal ills such as child marriage, gambling, drinking, smoking, litigation, superstition, immorality, sexual and gender-based violence, and corruption.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (02/08/21)
