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Fashola Tasks The Academia On Teaching Of Self-Dependent Graduates

Feb 12, 2009 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Thursday charged the nation’s academia to strive to produce graduates who would be self-dependent with the capacity to contribute positively to the development of the country.

Governor Fashola, who spoke at the 16th Convocation ceremony of the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, said the academia should also endeavour to produce young men and women of character who would be capable of making the right decisions.

“A nation is no more than the conglomeration and influence of its institutions and no greater institutions can a nation have, in addition to its courts and its legislative bodies, than its institutions of learning with their traditions, research, ruthless interrogation of phenomena and political and social theories and moral authority which profoundly affect their course of history”, the Governor said.

Listing some of the world’s great institutions of learning in America, Europe and Africa, including the Universities of Ibadan, Lagos and University of Nigeria Nsukka, among others, Governor Fashola said, “It is these institutions that shape the future of a nation, that set the standards, train the managers and leaders and determine whether it will be a nation of knowledge or one of ignorance with an absence of a foundational guiding philosophy of development, progress and social justice”.

Emphasizing on the need for a new generation of nation-builders from our learning institutions, Governor queried: “Are our academic institutions, especially the public ones, truly playing the powerful role of shaping the minds of our youths so that they become men and women of character with the ability to make rational and sensible decisions?”

“And so we must ask ourselves here today and on every other occasion when we are compelled to reflect on our role and what we have or have not achieved and what we can achieve but are yet to, have our institutions of learning, especially the public ones, truly played as powerful a role in the development of our human resource and thus the nation as a whole as they could have?, the Governor declared.

He wondered further whether or not the institutions are shaping the minds of the youths such that they become men and women of strong character with the ability to make rational and informed decisions and the right moral choices and inculcating in the students shared national values.

Probing further, the Governor wondered whether the institutions are producing graduates able to compete on a global platform and who are aware of best practices and standards as well as young men and women who would be innovative, critical thinkers and solution driven, seeking answers to some of Nigeria’s environmental, social, management capacity and infrastructural challenges, or merely teaching the students just enough to pass the next examination.

“Are we gearing our education curriculum to the creation of nation-building talents or the creation of mere job seekers who will not be adding immediate value to the organizations and businesses of their employers but rather would have to be completely retrained on the job?” the Governor further queried asking whether it is possible for two universities to effectively serve a population of 18 million people in Lagos.

According to the Governor, “I cannot answer these questions for you, members of the academic community. But I can, as Visitor to this great University and as Governor of the State, ask these questions in a representative capacity and ask them I will and must”, adding that the questions surely figured in the vision of the conceivers and founders of the institution.

Quoting the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), who, according to him posed the aforementioned questions, the Governor declared, “Given the structural characteristics of our society, we would need to create an educational system which not only has a circular flow of value within it…but also meets world quality standards…teaching creativity, innovation, promotion of community well-being”.

“The expectation of the nation, governments, employers of labour and guardians is that this university and others like it will continue to be the front of human capital development, future leadership and vital skill training to prepare its products adequately to engage effectively with globalization and an increasingly high technology and IT-driven world”, the Governor said, adding that Nigeria and Lagos cannot afford to be left behind by a world moving at a break-neck speed.

Governor Fashola thanked the Governing Council of the University whom he described as both supportive and creative under the inspired leadership of the pro-chancellor of the University and his predecessors as well as “the very passionate, dedicated and determined Vice-Chancellor and his staff”.

Also thanking the students and graduands for their patience and discipline, the Governor declared, “I congratulate all those who are receiving degrees, those who have invested in this process and all those who in one way or the other are responsible for today’s success”.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Lateef Akanni Hussain, attributed the modest success recorded by the University in the last one year to the support and enlightened guidance of the Governing Council and the cooperation of the Senate and the Congregation.

A total of 2, 927 graduands were conferred with different degrees consisting of 847 post-graduate diplomas, 500 academic masters, 1571 professional masters, and nine doctorate degrees while four eminent Nigerians were conferred with honourary degrees of the University.

They include the Emir of Katsina, HRH, Alhaji Abdul Munmini-Kabir Usman, former Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Ibitola Adebisi Sotuminu, Chief Babatunde Olusola Benson (SAN) and Late Steven Bankole Omodele Rhodes who was given a Post humous award.

Also present at the colourful ceremony were the Oba of Lagos HRH Oba Riluwanu Akiolu 1, a representative of the Akran of Badagry, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Right Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, members of the State Executive Council Parents of Governor Fashola and representations from the universities of Ibadan, Olabisi Onabanjo, Ado-Ekiti, Abia State, Michael Okpara, Umuahia, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Awka Abuja and Uyo, among other dignitaries.