RUN VC DELIVERS UNLAG CONVOCATION LECTURE URGES THE YOUTH TO DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM DECADENCE IN NIGERIA.

The Vice-Chancellor of the Redeemer's University (RUN), Professor Oyewale Tomori, has urged Nigerian Youths to distance themselves from the current decadence in the country if they must have a meaningful future. He made these remarks on Wednesday January 13, 2010 while delivering the 2009 University of Lagos (UNILAG) Convocation Lecture titled “Whither Nigeria? Or Wither” at UNILAG Main  Auditorium.

Professor Tomori painted a gloomy picture of both the education and health sectors in Nigeria. According to him, the reasons for the poor state of our education include:

1.)        the incessant disagreement between the government and the Academic Staff Union of (Nigeria) Universities (ASUU)             with the attendant disruption of academic calendar and enthronement of other vices such as campus cultism and            “sorting”
2.)        Poor infrastructure at all levels of our education.
3.)        Poor funding, atrocious staff welfare leading to poor commitment and low morale among staff and low quality teaching.
4.)        Immorality and corruption among students and teachers.
5.)        The intrusion of politics and the consequent loss of academic freedom and University autonomy.

According to Professor Tomori, “education in Nigeria, has become dysfunctional through a pattern of neglect”.

On health, he noted that the average Nigerian did not really care about his own health and that this was borne out of ignorance. He quoted Professor Lucas who made a statement in 2001 on the state of health Nigeria as follows: “Our health system is sick, needing intensive care; blind, lacking vision; deaf, to the cries of the sick and dying; impotent, incapable of response.”

Professor Tomori questioned the rationale behind the approval of an eighty (80) year old man as the Minister of Youths, Sports and Culture. He noted that parents have failed to instill the right training in their children. As he put it, “we are out of the house before the cock crows, and return long after the chicken has returned to bed”.
The Chairman of the occasion, Dr. Olawale Babalakin (SAN), in his remarks urged Nigerians not to criticise without offering solutions to problems. He disclosed that Nigeria was not a rich country as being portrayed by some people. He noted that if the revenue from petroleum were to be shared among Nigerians, each would only have a token sum of fifty thousand naira per annum. He was full of praise for Professor Tomori for presenting a wonderful Convocation Lecture. He promised to attend subsequent convocation lectures in UNILAG.

Other dignitaries at the Convocation Lecture include the Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Professor Tolu Odugbemi, UNILAG Council Chairman, Chief Gamaliel Onosode, representative of Mr. Tony Elumalu, Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of United Bank for Africa Plc and many more.