The President, Nigerian Academy of Letters, Prof Sola Akinrinade, has charged politicians to be problem solvers instead of palliative distributors.
Professor Akinrinade who maintained that, people should be taught how to solve problems by themselves while delivering lectures at the 12th and 13th convocation lecture of the Osun State University at the main campus, Osogbo, on Thursday, advised those at the corridor of power to stop distributing Palliatives that will not solve Nigerians problems.
He, therefore, clamoured for good governance instead of palliative distribution.
According to him, “What we need is not palliative but good governance. Bring down the cost of living. Create an enabling environment for people. People should be taught how to solve their problems.”
Akinrinade, the Pioneer Vice Chancellor of the university however pleaded with the government to bring down the cost of living and create an enabling environment that will allow people to solve their problems.
While pointing out that, the government has a lot of roles to play just as management of the higher institutions and even students to ensure functional education, global competitiveness and national relevance, he remarked that the council and Board of Trustees of private institutions are also expected to provide policy direction and facilitate the creation of the enabling environment for the institutions.
The former Vice-Chancellor argued further that, “government-owned universities are to develop along the lines that would permit the attainment of their goals of producing nationally relevant and globally competitive graduates equipped with functional skills”.
“Our governments should permit the functioning of the prescribed autonomous governance structures as enshrined in the establishment laws of these institutions.”
“In addition, the government should make resources available as the provision of a good university education costs money. Government, particularly at the federal level, should come up with a firm position on funding and cost-sharing in the universities”.
“If each university is truly autonomous, many of these issues would not even come up”, he concluded.
“As the foot soldiers for the implementation of any new programme, staff members are critical to the provision of education that is globally competitive and nationally relevant. The adoption and onboarding of the new curriculum must be complemented by sustained quality teaching and support services including administration, financial, works and services.”
“It is impossible to have quality output if important segments of the institution render mediocre services. Beyond teaching, academic staff must engage in cutting-edge research that will pass the scrutiny of integrity, and publish in outlets that are truly academic, particularly in this era of predatory publishing. Our non-teaching staff should render high-quality administrative and technical support as appropriate.”
“What is the point of a lecturer in any of the Science disciplines sweating his life out to teach and the laboratory technologist renders mediocre service? It is the responsibility of our staff of all cadres to guide and serve as role models for students even if it is not written in the constitution of the Federal Republic.”
“In providing functional education that would position the graduates for global competitiveness and national relevance, the ultimate stakeholders are the students themselves. Once the institution has played its role in ensuring quality input and quality process, it is the responsibility of the students to ensure quality output”, he concluded.
Meanwhile, the over N34 billion worth of Teaching Hospital donated to Osun State University, Osogbo by the Chancellor, Dr. Folorunso Alakija is now completed and fully equipped.
The Chancellor of the institution who made this known at the Programme, said the project was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his remark, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Odunayo Adebooye, assured that the institution would not relent in its efforts to make the citadel of learning, a second to none among other institutions in the country.
He stressed that the university is known for excellence and will continue to maintain the tempo.
On the newly graduated students, Professor Adebooye charged them to be good ambassadors of the university in the outside world saying, the school had given them all necessary tools to be productive and to affect their immediate environments positively.
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