Obasanjo: NUC aborted plans to establish federal education universities

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NIGERIA: FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday accused the National Universities Commission (NUC) of killing his administration’s idea to establish federal universities of education in the country.

Obasanjo stated that his administration had proposed to have the specialised universities, but was shocked that the move was aborted by NUC for reasons best known to the nation’s universities controlling organ.

“The idea of university of education in Nigeria came up 12 years ago, when I was at the helms of affairs in the country,” Obasanjo said.  “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?”
The ex-President said: “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, AIvan 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.”
Obasanjo made the disclosure at 6th and 7th convocation and the 10th year anniversary of the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, where he was conferred with honorary doctorate degree, with business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and the late Chief (Mrs.) Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo, who died recently and was buried  last Wednesday.
The former President, however, praised the Ogun State Government for establishing the first university of education in the country.

While commending the government for taking up the initiative to establish the first education university, he urged Governor Ibikunle Amosun to appreciate his predecessor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, for establishing the university.
“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,”
Obasanjo said on the occasion.

He challenged government at all levels to do more in the area of employment, while cautioning that failure to do so the country would be sitting on keg of gun powder.
While accepting the honorary degree of Doctor of Science Education in Political Science, Obasanjo said: “I really don’t indulge in accepting university degrees, but a number of reasons are adduced to why this has become a must for me.”

“One is the name, Tai Solarin, who in his life time showed great commitment to education development. Two, for our Mama HID Awolowo, to join in the company of where she has been honoured. Also, the 10th anniversary of the university,” he maintained.

“As you know, 10 years of an institution is not a joke, so I consider it an honour to come and join in the celebration and lastly, because it is the first university of education in Nigeria.  For these reasons, I found it irresistible not to be here,” the former President further stressed.
He urged Nigerians to brace up for the challenges which unemployment had created and pointed out that with education, particularly higher education, “we should be able to break cycle of poverty, through job and wealth creations.”

“We can achieve this at both the federal, state, local, family and individual level,” he said, adding: “We must all see education as a tool to making positive contributions to our country.” Obasanjo maintained: “But, if after your education, there is no job, you must be able to think outside the box positively, that is one advantage education has provided for you and not making you a tool for evil machinations.”
“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 keg of gun powder,” Obasanjo further said, while adding: “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 said, as he charged the 5,970 graduands to show quality and character in their various fields.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. (Mrs.) Oluyemisi Obilade, had said that the university is a specialized one that has uniquely been positioned to respond to national and global educational needs for equipping graduands with the necessary andragogical and pedagogical skills and content knowledge for effective teaching and learning.
Obilade stressed: “I will like to assure this august audience that this university is determined to continue with our positive transformation initiative to the best of our ability and within the limits of available resources so as to fast track the development of our university to the required world class standard in the shortest possible time.”
“At ten, TASUED has good reasons for modest pride derived from the indisputable and varied contributions it has made towards the development and sustenance of teacher education in Nigeria,” the highly elated vice-chancellor said.