Tunde Sanni
18 November 2008
Lagos — Two distinguished alumni of the premier university, the University of Ibadan , Deacon Gamaliel Onosode and Prof. Iya Abubakar on Monday made the award list as the institution rounded off its diamond anniversary. Onosode was a 1957 graduate of Classics, while Abubakar got his first degree in Mathematics the following year. The duo joined two other personalities, a Nigerian, Olola Fredrick Ogunlana and an American, Prof. Phyllis Jean Kanki. Ogunlana received a honorary doctor of literature award on account of being the chairman of the Endowment Fund of the university, which in 1973 when it was set up had a little below N1million but by now boasts of more than N1billion in investments. The American got the honorary award of doctor of science for her research and studies in HIV/AIDS.
Onosode recalled his arrival at the defunct Eleyele campus with his wooden box on his first day at then University College, Ibadan (UCI) in 1952. It was a challenge for a young man coming from 'far away Ughelli', in today's Delta State.
The Visitor, President Umaru Musa Yar' Adua expressed delight on the University's choice of Honorary Awardees saying, "It is significant to note that all the recipients of today's awards are not just people of social or academic distinction, but also of very high moral fibre. None of them is a money bag, yet one can easily identify the enduring legacies they are leaving to future generations through their contributions to education, statesmanship and international cooperation.
Yar' Adua, who was represented by the Minister of State for Education, Hajiya Aishatu Jubril Dukku, congratulated the university, for consistently dictating the tenor for the award of honorary degrees which he recommended to other universities to emulate. "It is now well known that it is easier for the camel to pass through the eye of the needle than to receive the honorary degree of the University of Ibadan."
The Visitor stressed that all academic honours, whether earned or awarded must be for worthiness in character before any other consideration, noting that universities have a major role to play in setting the moral tone of the nation.
If the visitor is happy on the award of honorary degrees to the alumni and other eminent personalities, he was however unhappy that UI still remained a local champion and maintained that the university not being ranked as one of the first 20 universities in the continent was a big minus and challenge, which its administrators must address.
Yar'Adua confirmed that though the institution still carried its weight around as the best in the country, "it is however disheartening to note that the premier university is not ranked among the first 20 universities in the country and there is no doubt that a lot still needs to be done in this regard.
"The university is therefore challenged and encouraged to shake off the toga of local champion and put on the garb of continental or better still global champion. This demands hard work, determination and discipline."
He tasked the new Ph. D graduates of the institution to go into the third generation universities to teach them learning and teaching in the proper perspective.
According to him, the production of 200 doctorates yearly, including this year was in response to the nation's perceived and crying need for quality teachers at the tertiary level, bearing in mind that the nation now boasts of 94 universities.
"I know that doctorates cannot be produced overnight, especially by a university such as Ibadan that is noted for its zero tolerance for mediocrity.
He tasked other first generation universities to take a cue from the University of Ibadan and embark with zeal, on the production of high level research personnel, not just for the academia but most importantly, the nation's industrial and technological advancement.
"I congratulate the graduands of today on their achievement and charge you to go to the younger universities and impact the distinctive mien of academic excellence that you have been fortunate to receive at Ibadan . It is a national service to which you are called so that together, we can build universities that are of international repute to the millions of our youths seeking access to university education all over the country."
The president however regretted that the spate of unrest and consequent closure of universities, which appeared to have subsided some years ago, was gradually rearing its ugly head and assuming an alarming proportion. He therefore advised students to be law abiding, concentrate on their studies and pursue their demands legitimately through the appropriate channels. He enjoined them to take a stock of the adverse consequences of incessant closure of their institutions to themselves.
Yar' Adua observed that universities had become ivory towers removed from the realities of the communities, advising on the need for them to establish contacts with industry and government.
"Universities should be more proactive by, for example offering consultancy services to government and the private sector without comprising their core functions of teaching and research. As a matter of fact, such activities will invariably make lecturers better teachers as they see the application of their theoretical constructs."
In his address of welcome, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olufemi Bamiro listed the challenges of the university to include the gradual evolution into a post graduate institution with 60:40 ratio postgraduate to undergraduate students over a long period. He said, realising that government alone could not fund quality higher education, the institution had explored other sources of funding which included the University of Ibadan Endowment Fund.
He said he was happy about the intervention of the alumni and corporate institutions in the infrastructural development of their alma mater as well as the bid to convert the institution into a post graduate university and make it a force to reckon with in the country and in the continent.
He mentioned the donation of N130million from the defunct Celtel now Zain network as a form of support for Onosode when he was the chairman of the Governing Council of the institution; the donation of a block of classroom to the Department of Agriculture by the First Bank plc, as well as a recent donation of another block of classroom by the Afribank along with a 200KVA generator.
The Vice Chancellor said his administration was committed to the collective vision of the university to expand the frontiers of knowledge and transform the society through innovation and excitedly pointed to its gradual transformation to a postgraduate university, saying this stemmed from the country's need for high level skilled and innovative human resources to face the challenges of globalisation in the industry; research capacity in all sectors of the economy to drive innovation; and to produce Ph.D graduates to meet the increasing need for teaching and research manpower by the national university system, which has witnessed explosive growth with close to 40 universities established in the last six years.
To prepare the ground for the post graduate project, he hinted on increase in the academic staff, which was meant to take care of a corresponding increase of postgraduate students' enrolment from 6, 200 to 10,000; increase of Ph.D graduates from 200 to 400 annually, as well as increase of open distance learning students to 25, 000.
Bamiro said the premier university, by virtue of its age and existing research manpower, with more than 300 Professors/Readers and 292 Senior Lecturers, was in the best position to execute quality postgraduate training programmes in the country.
In the determination of the administration to stop the waiting game on government subvention, Bamiro disclosed that the administration in 2004, established the University Advancement Centre to professionalise solicitation for funds from alumnae, industry, governments and other stakeholders while two years later, there was the establishment of the board of advancement as the arrow head of fundraising in 2006.
There is also the university endowment fund which came on board in 1973 with a paltry N1million but which now has an investment towering above N1.5billion. The VC mentioned foreign donor agencies and foundations (e.g. MacArthur, Carnegie, etc.); as some of the benefactors of the institution from where the institution has been drawing consistent money to fund its research as well as some government agencies (Education Trust Fund (ETF), Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), etc.); who have benefited the university with buildings and vehicles to ease the burden of administration. There were individuals and the private sector; all who he mentioned have contributed to the giant stride of the institution. The McArthur foundation alone has assisted the institution with a whopping financial lifeline of $8million.
The Vice Chancellor mentioned the Investment of un-attributed funds; the University Endowment Fund, consultancy activities, attraction of endowed chairs, development of fundable research ideas to attract funding support by research funding agencies and organisations - local and international and participation in special intervention projects e.g. Computerise All Nigeria (CANI) for computer acquisition supported by ETF all aimed at improving the internal generated revenue of the institution and stand it in good stead for the challenges ahead.
The Chancellor and Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero regretted that universities were not spared the orgy of violence and insecurity in the town with the involvement of undergraduates in cultism, examination malpractises, armed robbery, disrespectfulness and indscipline.
"Our youths are becoming disillusioned; parents and guardians are greatly disturbed at the colossal waste of their investments; and government is worried over the seeming loss of confidence in the academic system", he said
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