Former
President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has urged the federal, state and local
governments to do more in the area of employment.
The former president who
spoke at the 10th anniversary and 6th and 7th convocation ceremonies of Tai
Solarin University of Education, TASUED, Ijagun, Ijebu Ode, warned: “If there
is no job for the unemployed to feed themselves and also to contribute to the
development of the country, then, we will all be sitting on gun powder.
Vanguard report continues:
“If university education
was not for development then, it was not serving any useful purpose. It must be
for development, personal, local, national and even global and that is very
important.”
He
stated that education is a meal ticket for anybody that has it, adding that it
is also a means of breaking the poverty cycle.
Obasanjo
advised: “I believe in lifelong education. Nobody should stop learning until he
or she die.”
He
said that he accepted the award because of the personality the school was named
after, saying that Tai Solarin was one of the greatest educationists the
country has ever produced.
He
also told the audience that he was honoured to be honoured in conjunction with
Chief Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo, insisting, “Anywhere Mama is being honoured,
we must join hands to to honour her.”
Obasanjo
was honoured with an Honourary Doctorate of Education in Political Science
while HID was honoured with Honourary Doctorate in Business Education while
Aliko Dangote was conferred with Honorary Doctorate in Science and Business
Education. HID Awolowo’s daughter, Mrs Tola Adeniran, received the award on
behalf of her mother’s behalf.
Ogun
State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, in his speech at the occasion said:
“This year’s convocation ceremony, which marks the successful completion of
another academic session, is a continued demonstration of commitment to the
production of qualified teaching personnel for our education system.
“You
are all expected to use your collective wisdom, knowledge, ability and exposure
to sustain and promote the ideals of this great institution.”
He
disclosed that the 12 First Class students would be given automatic employment
by the state government.
The Vice -Chancellor of the
University, Professor Oluyemisi Obilade, in her welcome address, said: “The University
is a specialized university, uniquely positioned to respond to national and
global educational needs for equipping graduands with the necessary and
pedagogical skills as well as content knowledge for effective teaching and learning.”
Meanwhile The Nation reports that former
President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed concern over increasing graduate
unemployment. He said the country
will be toying with gave dangers should the trend persists. The ex-president
sounded the warning at the weekend at the 10th Anniversary and Convocation
Ceremonies of the state-owned Tai Solarin University of Education
(TASUED), Ijagun.
He
urged the federal, state and local governments to pay more attention to job
creation for the growing unemployed youth population.
Obasanjo,
who spoke after the university conferred an honorary Doctorate Degree (PhD) in
Political Science on him, said education is a meal ticket for anybody that has
it.
He
noted that if university education could not facilitate development at the
personal, family, community and national levels, the essence of it was then
defeated.
Obasanjo
said: “Governments should do more in the area of employment. If there is no job
for the unemployed to feed themselves and also to contribute to the development
of the country, then we will all be sitting on a gun powder.
“If
university education was not for development, then it was not serving any
useful purpose.”
He
added: “I believe in lifelong education. Nobody should stop learning until he
or she dies.”
He
added that only the National Universities Commission (NUC) could explain why
the proposed Federal Universities of Education did not materialize during his
tenure as president 12 years ago.
Obasanjo,
now a university proprietor, noted that the Federal Government 12 years ago
proposed the upgrading of the Adeyemi College of Education, Ivan Ikoku College
of Education, and two others in Kano and Zaria into a full-fledged university
status.
He
said he did know why the issue remained at the level of proposal.
“The
idea of university of education in Nigeria came up 12 years ago, when I was at
the helms of affairs. I had thought that if we have specialized university for
agriculture, specialized university for science and technology, why not for
university of education? Why can we not have a university designated for
education?
“At
that time at the federal level, four colleges of education, which belong to the
Federal Government, would be turned into university of education. They included
the Adeyemi College of Education in Ondo, Ivan Ikoku College of Education, one
in Kano and I think the other in Zaria. We were ready to go. Well, why we could
not go, Peter Okebukola is here. You can ask him and he will tell you.
“Well,
the Ogun State Government took this initiative and behold, we had the first
University of Education in Ogun State. Mr. Governor, please help us to thank
your predecessor for this.”
The
former president also gave an insight into why he accepted the honorary degree
from TASUED.
“I
don’t indulge in accepting honorary award. It became a must because of the
personality which the university was named after. He is one of the best
educationists this country ever has; then his memory should remain real with
everybody.
“Mama
HID is also being honoured by this university. Anywhere mama is been honoured,
we must join hand to honour her,” Obasanjo said.
He
hailed Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun for sustaining the legacy.
About
5,970 graduated at the event, including a dozen who made First Class.
Amosun promised the First
Class graduands automatic jobs. 
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