Minister/Deputy National Chairman, National Planning Commission(NPC), Dr. Abubakar Sulaiman has declared that President Goodluck Jonathan has no plan to rig next month’s general elections, even as he described the president as a leader with large heart.
The minister made the disclosure during a reception in his honour and other past deans, organised by the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Abuja, held at the university auditorium at its mini campus , Gwagwalada.
He said: “This administration is working and the evidence is there. I will continue to do more for the university and I can do better, and if you truly like me, vote to return Goodluck Jonathan.
“One thing we should all know is that Jonathan does not have the plan to rig himself back. If he had or has that plan, he would not have appointed Jega (INEC), an activist as the INEC chairman.
Even on my appointment, Mr. President demonstrated a large heart. “I was an active unionist during my days as a university lecturer, I led a protest against the then sitting VC, which we carried up to the government level, yet Mr. President decided, devoid of any sentiment, to appoint me a minister. It takes one with a large heart to do that.”
Reeling out the catalogue of Jonathan’s achievements, the minister stated that under President Goodluck Jonathan, 14 Federal Universities were built across the geo-political spread of the country and this is a great height achieved in educational development ever witnessed in the Nigeria.
In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Mike Adikwu, commended the minister for putting the university first in the course of discharging his duties as a minister, adding that “Dr Sualiman, has lived up to his billings as an academic in the federal executive council and has also made the university proud as his constituent.”
Adikwu expressed appreciation for the foreign training opportunity given to the university by the NPC under Sulaiman’s leadership, and expressed confidence that the minister will do more to get the university attain greater height.
In his goodwill message, Professor Samuel Asala, Provost, College of Health Sciences, of the university, recalled the historic role in the completion of the College of Health Sciences’ building in the university permanent site. Also speaking, Professor Sarah Anyawu of Economics Department also commended the minister’s effort for the numerous economic policy plans initiated by the NPC for the growth and development of Nigeria.
