From Kayemo News
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, urged the Nigerian universities to shun all forms of extortion, plagiarism and other forms of academic disorder, saying that collective action is required to preserved the integrity of the ivory towers.
This was just as Rev. Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, declared that democracy remained the most preferable system of governance, but lamented that the attitude, values and institutions required for its proper functioning are yet to fully mature effectively in Nigeria.
Tinubu, who spoke at the 10th Convocation ceremony of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti, in Ekiti State, said that university must embrace innovation and remain at the forefront of research, teaching and community service.
The President who was was represented by the Executive Secretary, NUC, Prof. Abdullah Yusufu Ribadu, urged the graduating students to demonstrate discipline, accountability and innovation in managing their responsibilities.
“We demand various research that will addresses substantial challenges and improved the quality of lives, that must remain central to University management”.
In his convocation lecture, Kukah noted that political systems thrive without meaningful changes despite Nigerians engaging in protest, seeking redress in the court of law and encountering repression in their quest to build a better country.
The Catholic Bishop stressed that democracy must be understood and protected because it remains the most viable framework for societal stability, adding that democracy is not valued because it is perfect but remains preferable to alternatives.
Kukah also described democracy as an equal-opportunity system capable of enabling national growth, but warned that Nigeria, like many other countries, still struggles with the right institutional culture to make it work effectively.
“There are people who grumble, people who are taken to prison, people who end up as widows, and people in civil society who protest or go to court, yet everything continues as usual. Even when over 80 or 90 per cent of votes are not fully accounted for, normalcy returns, as seen in many parts of Africa and across the world. The point is that we must understand the importance of democracy, because outside it, everything else collapses.
“As Churchill said, democracy is not valued because it is the best form of government, but because it remains preferable to the alternatives. It is one of the worst forms of government, except for the others that have been tried.
“Different systems have been tested, journalism, autocracy and others. We did what we had to do. Democracy, more or less, is an equal-opportunity system of government that allows countries to thrive.
“Unfortunately, in Nigeria, as in many places, democracy has arrived but attitudes have not fully changed. We are in a democratic era, yet many challenges persist.
“We must develop a deep understanding of the principles that guide democracy. We find ourselves in a situation where politicians make promises of a better future that never materialise, while citizens continue to search for genuine progress”.
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, University Governing Council, Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba, said his vision is to position FUOYE as a leading institution, not just within Nigeria, but across Africa and beyond.
The outgoing Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, commended the university community for the achievements in the last five years where over 160 projects have been executed and the institution successfully hosted 19 inaugural lectures.
At the convocation, five distinguished Nigerians were decorated with honorary Degrees of the university, including Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Oba Sir Michael Oluwole Ademolaju Adugbole, Hon. Mr. Justice Walter Samuel Nkan Onnoghen, former CJN, and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah,