Mahama receives Honorary Doctor of Law Degree at Ilorin Uni

Ghana’s president John Dramani Mahama and the Emir of Katsina, Dr. Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, have been installed the Chancellors of Ilorin University in Nigeria.

Also the University conferred on them Honorary Doctor of Law (LL.D) Degree of the University. This forms part of the 40th anniversary celebration of the establishment of the University.

President Mahama, who was the special guest of honour at the event, spoke on the topic, “Africa’s Agenda 2063: Ending Poverty and Ensuring Prosperity in Africa.”

President Mahama observed that Africa has come a long way from the sordid past when some of its leaders ruled with iron fists.

He spoke of the brutal regimes of leaders such as Mobutu, Idi Amin Dada and Nguema, and said what was a source of pain, suffering, terror and fear in those days now belonged to history. According to president Mahama the continent has made a lot of progress in democratic governance and socio-economic development.

He has therefore, encouraged Africans to be proud to speak about what they have achieved instead of dwelling on what they lacked.

“What I have noticed is that, it is our tendency in Africa to speak of what we do not have, how we are lacking in this or that, why we have not got where other more developed continents are, and who might possibly be to blame for this,” he said.

He said as Nigeria celebrates the tremendous progress made by the University of Ilorin, it reminded Africans of the power of possibility that existed in just a single dream.

“The African Union’s Agenda 2063 is nothing more, or less, than a continuation of such a dream. It is a way and a means for each of our 54 nations to tap into the power of those single dreams, to encourage the citizens of this continent that we all love so dearly, to come together and take charge of our destinies, and to keep making those dreams come true. We cannot afford to forget that we hold the power to do that,” Mahama said.