By OLADELE ADEDAYO,Ado-Ekiti
The Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu-Alagbado, has called on politicians in the country to rather fund university education with the billions being expended on procurement of nomination forms to seek elective positions.
The traditional ruler gave the advice at the weekend, while presenting a N16 million worth Ambulance donated by his community to Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere-Ekiti (BOUESTl).
Addressing the university’s principal officers during the handing over ceremony, held at his palace, the monarch berated the 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 and the university are not well funded, while 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 that we have today was 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 be seeing 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 Babalawos 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 are 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, that is the only way we can create jobs for our youth. To all of us here, if we want buy anything, buy made in Ekiti products, including farm products like pepper, tomato and all that.
“We can’t continue to buy things from foreign countries and expect our youth to get jobs. That is the reason why our university must do research, bring out innovations and give to local industries to make or manufacture their products”, he stated.
Describing the gift as stunning and rewarding, Governor Kayode Fayemi, represented by the Education Commissioner, Dr. Bimpe Aderiye, appreciated the community for taking this step to help the university.
Fayemi said: “Last year, the community donated a sum of N60m to the university as take off grant out of N500m 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 ran 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 Ikere Community for seeing the university as their “baby”.
“To let you know that we are striving towards excellence, BOUESTI now has an ICT 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”.
