The President and Vice Chancellor of Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun, Prof Tayo Ademola, has raised a serious concern about the high electricity tariffs charged by the various electricity distribution companies in the country, saying the high tariff is a great threat to quality university education.
He said the Federal Government must do something fast and address the issue and ensure the tariffs are friendly and affordable to educational institutions, especially universities.
He argued that a university education is a social service and not for making money and therefore deserves support and help, especially from the government rather than putting them under unnecessary financial pressure.
Prof Ademola raised this concern on Sunday during his address at the 22nd Convocation ceremony of the university with a total of 2, 842 undergraduate and postgraduate students graduated in various disciplines.
The vice-chancellor disclosed that Babcock University paid up to N300 million in May alone, saying the high tariff was not only pocket-tearing but killing and not in any way sustainable for the university.
He said it is disheartening that electricity tariff being charged to the universities could be this high, stressing that there is no justification to treat education institutions in this manner if the government truly wants economic prosperity for the country.
He said Babcock University is still paying up to N300 million monthly on electricity despite the university powering its street lights with solar, emphasising the need for government quick intervention on the matter.
The vice-chancellor, however, disclosed that 148 out of the total graduating students of the set made First Class honours including distinctions for those in Clinical sciences.
He named the overall best-graduating students at undergraduate, masters and doctoral degree levels as Elomezino Ifochale, Oluwaferanmi Adegoke, and John Akinoye respectively.
While Ifochale who studied Education and Humanities had a CGPA of 4.89, Adegoke and Akinoye had CGPA of 4.93 and 4.84, respectively.
He said the university had trained and equipped them with the requisite knowledge and skills to excel in their various fields while congratulating them and their parents.
In his convocation lecture, Chief Wole Olanipekun, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who spoke on the topic, “Go and replenish the earth: Man’s misconception of God’s mandate,” urged the graduating students to remain focused and committed and become social s they go into the world.
He said Nigeria already with over over-bloated population and would require genuine commitment of all Nigerians especially the youth to fix the multi-faceted socio-economic challenges faced by the country and its people.
He said even though most youths nowadays like to go abroad for work after their parents had invested so much in them, which he said is not their fault and shouldn’t be blamed, for Nigeria to move forward significantly is the business of all Nigerians to do.
Clanipekun was conferred with the Doctor of Law and Administration (honoraris causa) alongside Mrs Bukola Onikepo Smith at the event.
He thanked the university for the honour and urged the students to stay back in the country and contribute to its growth and development.
In their separate remarks, the governor Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun and his Ekiti counterpart, Mr Abiodun Oyebanji congratulated the new graduates and charged them to go and make positive impact as they face future challenges.
They also congratulated the two doctoral honorees, saying they had made a great impact in their fields and on humanity.
Speaking about the planned nationwide protest, Ogun governor, Abiodun urged the students and other Nigerians not to participate in the protest, saying protest is not an answer to the country’s challenges.
He emphasised that aid there is no need for the protest as the Federal Government is working hard to fix the nation’s challenges.
He said the economic crisis especially inflation that Nigeria is confronted with today is not limited to Nigeria alone but globally and the people should therefore be patient with the government.
