The President/Vice Chancellor of Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State, Professor Tayo Ademola, is concerned 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 act promptly to address the issue ensuring that tariffs are friendly and affordable to educational institutions, especially universities.
He argued that the university education is a social service and not a money-making venture and therefore deserves support and help especially from the government rather than putting it under unnecessary financial pressure.
Professor Ademola raised this concern during his address at the 22nd convocation ceremony of the university with a total of 2, 842 undergraduate and postgraduate students graduating 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 the 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 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, Master’s and doctoral degree levels as Elomezino Ifochale, Oluwaferanmi Adegoke and John Akinoye, respectively.
While Ifochale who studied Education and Humanities had the 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 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 (SAN), who spoke on a 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 change agents as they go into the world.
He said Nigeria is already a bloated population and will require genuine commitment of all Nigerians, especially the youth, to fix the multi-various socio- economic challenges faced by the country and its people.
He noted that most youths nowadays prefer to go abroad to work after their parents had invested so much in them which he said is not their fault.
Clanipekun was conferred with a 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 of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun and his Ekiti’s counterpart, Mr Abiodun Oyebanji, congratulated the new graduates and charged them to go and make a positive impact as they face future challenges.
They also congratulated the two doctoral honourees, saying they had made great impact in their fields and to humanity.
