Fund Varsities with Money You Are Wasting on Nomination Forms, Ekiti Monarch Tells Politicians

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

Angered by the parlous state of the Nigerian universities in terms of funding, research and innovation, the Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu-Alagbado, has advised politicians to channel billions being expended to procure nomination forms to fund university education.

The first class monarch said this at the weekend when he presented a N16 million worth of ambulance donated by his community to Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti (BOUESTl).

Addressing the university’s top brass during the handing over ceremony held at his palace, the traditional ruler upbraided Nigerian leaders for allowing the university education to decay through unwarranted underfunding.

He said: “Our politicians are buying

nomination  forms to contest at very high prices while the university are not well funded, and researches are not being carried out. I believe this is bad and unfair.

“These monies can be used to adequately fund our universities, particularly giving our youth employments through research and innovation. Even the security crises we face today were because of our poor value system. We have to change our attitude.

“We must continue to say the truth, because we will account for all our deeds. I am challenging this university to be different. We want to see its impacts on this community in term of development within the next 10 years.”

Adu-Alagbado hinted that the ambulance was not just donated by Ikere elite, saying: “Market men and women, chiefs, technicians and traditionalists all sacrificed to purchase this vehicle. I commend my subjects for their unity of purpose.

“This ambulance will be useful now that the population of students and staff is increasing. This gesture will also help in telling us that we should patronise made-in-Nigeria goods. We bought it from Innoson Motors.

“We didn’t want to buy ‘Tokunbo ambulance’. If we continue to buy made-in-Nigeria products, and that is the only way we can create jobs for our youths. To all of us here, if we want buy anything, buy made-in-Ekiti products, including farm products like pepper, tomato and others.”

Describing the gift as stunning and rewarding, the state Governor, Kayode Fayemi, represented by the state Education Commissioner, Dr. Bimpe Aderiye, appreciated the community for taking this step to help the university.

Fayemi said: “Last year, the community donated the sum of N60million to the university as take-off grant out of N500million they promised to give to the institution.

“This is a communal love that our forefathers had for education. Kabiyesi, this university will run like no one has ever run before. The government and individuals will rise to help the university. We will get results sooner than we ever expected.”

In his response, BOUESTI Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victor Adeoluwa, appreciated Oba Adu-Alagbado and the Ikere community for accepting the university as their “baby”.

 “To let you know that we are striving towards excellence, BOUESTI now has an ICT centre worth N118 million through donations from some bodies. We have introduced new and novel courses like degrees in Clothing and Textile and Fashion Designing Studies to make us unique,” he stated.