The Deji of Akure and Chairman of the Ondo State Council of Obas, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, has called on the Government at the Federal and State levels to do everything possible to resuscitate the dwindling fortunes of education in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
The Monarch made this appeal when he paid a schedule visit to the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed at his office in Abuja.
According to the Chief Press Secretary to the Monarch, Mr. Adeyeye Michael, Oba Aladetoyinbo lamented the rate at which a large number of our best brains are relocating abroad in search of a greener pasture and a better working condition.
Oba Aladetoyinbo was quoted as saying that “it is crystal clear and evident that the nation cannot afford to continue to fold her arms while allowing her best brains in the tertiary institutions to leave the country”. It is an understatement that our tertiary institutions are currently undergoing serious manpower and infrastructural challenges, Oba Aladetoyinbo said.
He also urged the Federal Government to look into the incessant union strikes in the nation’s universities which often crippled our institutions and made the students to suffer and subject them to a consistently fluctuating academic calendar.
He said such practice portends a serious threat to academic advancement of the country.
The Monarch urged the National Universities Commission to ensure that the academic standard of our universities are revamped so that we don’t continue to produce half-baked graduates who in turn wreak havoc in the society.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Secretary of NUC, Professor Abubakar Adamu appreciated Oba Aladetoyinbo for the visit to the commission headquarters.
He described the visit as timely and encouraging.
He expressed the readiness of the commission to do everything possible to ensure that the standard of tertiary education in the country is maintained without compromise.
Your Majesty, it is true that we are faced with enormous challenges, however, I strongly believe that those myriads of challenges are surmountable if all hands are on deck.
We will take to the advice you have given us and we are assuring you that we will leave no stone unturned in our quest for quality education in the tertiary educational sector.
Prof. Adamu promised to continuously engage relevant sectors, agencies and stakeholders that are central to achieving a lasting solution to academic disruption in our tertiary institutions.
Oba Aladetoyinbo then called on philanthropists and well-meaning Nigerians not to abandon the educational sector.
The Monarch was received by the Executive Secretary alongside the Deputy Executive Secretary, Mr. Chris Jibreel Maiyaki and other top staff of the commission.