THE Vice-Chancellor of University of Lagos (UNILAG), Prof. Rahamon Bello, has advised the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, to find ways to protect funding of tertiary education from economic upheavals.
Prof. Bello spoke yesterday at the Day Three of the 2014 Convocation of the university during which honorary degrees were conferred on the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, Lt-Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, and Deacon Gamaliel Onosode.
He urged Buhari to ensure the continuation of theN1.3 trillion Needs Assessment funding to public universities.
“We would like to urge him, as he assumes office, to consolidate on the gains of higher education from the outgoing regime and entrench the path to its revitalisation through the implementation of the Needs Assessment Funding programme. We like to also draw attention of the incoming government to the need for a funding mechanism that will insulate higher education in Nigeria from fluctuations of the Nigerian economy. This is the only way universities, in particular, can become stable and maximally contribute positively to the economic development of the nation,” he said.
With 45 per cent (4,764) of the 10,600 graduands this year coming from the postgraduate school, the vice chancellor said that UNILAG was gradually achieving its target of becoming a postgraduate university.
He explained that the consequence of this was that younger universities would be able to employ more qualified academics.
Giving a breakdown of the postgraduate students, Bello said 103 graduated with Doctor of Philosophy degrees (103); while 4,330 got Masters Degrees, and 331 postgraduate diplomas.
The convocation climaxed with the honorary degree recipients regaling the audience with stories.
Lt-Gen. Danjuma shared how the university wooed him for years to donate and how when he finally did, later asked for a refund.
But, in the light of the conferment of the Doctor of Science degree (honoris causa) he received yesterday, Danjuma finally assured the university of his support.
On his part, Pastor Adeboye talked about the Mathematics of Greatness, a follow up to his earlier equations on the Mathematics of Marriage, which he shared with the university community in February.
Adeboye, who was the first Masters and PhD student of Mathematics produced by the university, explained that he was a testimony of the divine promotion of God, which he said surpasses human promotion.
Prof. Olayide Abass, Prof. Francis Fajemirokun, and Prof. Soga Sofola were also honoured with emeriti professorship at the event.
PhD and Masters graduands, who were outstanding in the various programmes, were also honoured with prizes. The overall best PhD student was Dr. Emmanuel Akpan, whose thesis titled: “Processing and Characterisation of Selected Biodegradable fibre – PLA Composites” won many awards.
Dignitaries at the event included former Military Head of State, Dr. Yakubu Gowon; Prof .Jerry Gana, Pro-Chancellor and chairman of council; Senator Daisy Danjuma; monarchs, vice chancellors of many universities, among others.