Moral and societal deterioration in values and character deficits among the youth, especially students in universities and secondary school, have been attributed to poor parenting, unregulated social media and the ineptitude of government.
Making this assertion was the former NUC executive secretary, Professor Peter Okebukola, while delivering the 2023 commencement speech entitled ‘Character is Key’ at the ninth undergraduate and fifth postgraduate convocation ceremony of the Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State on Sunday.
Okebukola, who observed that moral decadence among young people is nearing a crisis point, said research has shown that a higher percentage of secondary school students and undergraduates is engaging in various immoral activities, such as drug abuse, cultism, violence, cyber crimes, transactional sex, repugnant sexual behaviour and examination malpractices.
While he identified poor home training as one of the major factors responsible of gradual decline in character among the youth, he admonished parents to train and teach their child on integrity, compassion and respect, asking them to and not to abdicate their primary responsibility of building up their homes and family in pursuit of wealth and careers.
While noting that though the education system, which was created to produce the complete man and woman has lost its colour, he asked the government to wake up to its responsibility of creating an enabling environment for the youth to thrive as frustration and depression can trigger the passion for criminality.
He called on the media to be socially responsible to the society by promoting “morals and values found in our culture and traditions.”
While charging the graduates on embracing sound character, he said, ‘dear graduands, you must realise that your degree is just a piece of paper, your education is seen in your behaviour, attitude and character.”
In his address titled ‘Change Begins with You,’ the founder and pro-chancellor of the university, Dr Adedeji Adeleke, encouraged the graduands to cultivate the right attitude toward nation building, and be committed to making Nigeria a great nation that they can be proud of and be responsible citizens.
The governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke noted that “education makes a major difference in what and how we become anything in life; it is a tool you cannot do without in life and it is not age bound.”
Citing the example of how he pursued his educational degree at 61, he encouraged them not to stop pursuing their dreams in life no matter what.
He charged the graduands to go out and conquer the wider world and be good ambassadors of the university.
The representative of NUC at the event, Professor Muhammed Yahaya commended the founder of the university, for his thoughtfulness and the vision that brought it to existence and the leadership that he had provided in private university education in Nigeria.
The vice chancellor of the institution in his address, stated that out of the total 620 graduands, 31 were conferred with Ph.D, one, MPhil Ph.D, 39 Masters degree and four in Diploma. Meanwhile, in the undergraduate category a total of 53 bagged First Class, 330 second class upper, 157 second class lower and four graduated with third class.
While congratulating the graduands, he encouraged them to aim and soar higher, adding that “one thing you must not forget is that life is about giving back. Thus, as fortune smiles at you, remember to give back to the society.”
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