Nigerian graduates becoming parasites, Akande laments

All Progressive Congress Chieftain, Chief Bisi Akande, on Wednesday charged the nation’s tertiary institutions to lay emphasis on the production of employable and self-employable science-driven technological minds.

The former Governor of Osun-State lamented that the average of 100,000 youths turned out yearly in the country’s universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education “have been forced to become parasites, ignorant bullies, tricksters and, largely, objects of sorrow by falling into the hands of exploiters, sex-agents, militants and, sometimes, into outright crimes.”

Akande, who spoke during the 25th and 26th combined convocation and 40th anniversary of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, where he was conferred with an honorary Doctor of Public Administration, said, “Ironically, the graduates of the nation’s tertiary institutions are expected to be creators of abundant goods and productive services.”

Other recipients of an honorary doctorate on the occasion are the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele (Doctor of Management); the Chief Executive Officer of Levante Trust Nigeria Limited, Mr. Olawale Jegede (Doctor of Business Administration); and the House of Representatives member, Timilehin Adelegbe (Doctor of Management).

EKSU also on the occasion conferred Ph.D. on 160 graduands across faculties and departments of the institution while 16,273 others got diplomas, post-graduate diplomas, bachelor’s degrees, and Master’s degrees on Tuesday.

Akande said the emphasis of university academic independence “must be to produce employable and self-employable science-driven technological minds” rather than an admission of as many as possible students merely to rake in revenues for the recruitment and promotion of lecturers to professors and for the creating of more and more departments for our educational institutional staff members”.

Ekiti State Governor and Visitor to the university, Dr Kayode Fayemi, who congratulated the honorary award recipients, however, urged them to support the university, saying, “Please come to our ‘Macedonia.’ The time has come when the government can no longer bear the huge cost of running a university in view of the dwindling resources of the state”.