Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang delivered a stark warning at the 15th convocation ceremony of Veritas University, Abuja, on Friday. In a lecture titled “Building the Nigeria We Want: The Role of the Educated Mind,” he accused a segment of the country’s educated elite of fuelling corruption and governance failures, arguing that intellectual ability without integrity has become a major threat to national development.
“Indeed, I make an uncomfortable observation: the afflictions I diagnosed earlier—prebendalism, the privatisation of public office, grand corruption, the capture of institutions—are almost never the work of illiterate minds. They are overwhelmingly executed by educated minds,” Mutfwang said, citing financial fraud, manipulation of public contracts, doctored accounts and money laundering as examples of professional expertise being turned to destructive ends.
“The Yahoo boy is certainly not a derelict. He is a work of intelligence, but intelligence wrongly applied,” the governor added, using internet fraudsters to illustrate his point.
He urged graduating students to recognise that university education carries obligations beyond personal advancement, stressing that qualifications must be guided by conscience, integrity and responsibility. “Knowledge tells you what you can do, but conscience tells you what you should do. An educated mind without a formed conscience is not an asset to any nation. It is a very efficient danger,” he warned.
Mutfwang called for accountable leadership, functional institutions, respect for the rule of law and protection of citizens’ rights. He cautioned that the withdrawal of competent and principled citizens from public affairs could further weaken the country’s institutions, adding, “If the best remain outside, the worst will not.”
On the issue of youth migration, the governor acknowledged the challenges driving young Nigerians abroad but urged those leaving to remain connected to the country through investment, knowledge transfer and mentorship. Vice‑Chancellor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Ichoku echoed this sentiment, urging the government to create an enabling environment that would encourage young Nigerians to stay.
- Insecurity
- Poverty
- Poor roads
- Inadequate infrastructure
- Unreliable electricity
“If the environment is hostile like we have it currently in many places, nobody would like to stay. The dream you have to achieve will not be realised in a hostile environment,” Ichoku said, describing young Nigerians as the country’s greatest development resource and warning that their potential would remain untapped without adequate opportunities and infrastructure. He also admitted that the older generation had not done enough to create the conditions necessary for young Nigerians to thrive.
<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
