A Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), has said free education at all levels will help government win its fight against corruption.
He suggested that for any government to nip corruption in the bud, should give the citizens free education at all levels and provide jobs for the youth.
The eminent lawyer said two of the least corrupt countries in the world – Sweden and Singapore – adopted the model, which helped in providing for the needs of the people and in discouraging them from corrupt practices.
Olanipekun spoke at the weekend at the presentation of scholarships to hundreds of pupils, under the aegis of 21st Wole Olanipekun Scholarship Scheme (WOSS) at his hometown, Ikere-Ekiti in Ekiti State.
Pupils who got cheques with varying amounts to finance their education cut across secondary schools.
Students od universities and the Nigerian Law School from the 16 local government areas of Ekiti State and other states also benefitted from the scholarships.
In an address delivered by the Chairman of WOSS Board of Trustees (BoT), Mr. Stephen Omoyeni, the eminent lawyer regretted a situation in which PhD holders applied for a N50,000 job.
Olanipekun described the situation as “a great impediment to the anti-graft war”.
He added: “In my humble view, the first thing any government should do to nip corruption in the bud or reduce it to a minimal level is to give citizens free education at all levels and strive to provide jobs for the youths.
“These are the things the least corrupt countries, like Sweden and Singapore, are doing for their citizens. These countries are providing certainty for people in their old age and they are ensuring that they will not die unattended to, particularly in the areas of their welfare.
“In my mind, rather than sloganeering and offering rhetoric on the fight against corruption, what we should do is to provide the means by which our youths can enjoy free education from primary to the university level and provide gainful jobs after schools.”
A former Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Prof. Joel Adegun, who delivered the WOSS 21st anniversary lecture suggested that the scheme must transform into a foundation for it to outlive its founder and make better contributions to scholarship.
In the lecture, titled: Philanthropy and Education Debacle in Nigeria, Adegun advised wealthy Nigerians to imbibe the culture of contributions to education as obtainable in United States of America, Britain and other advanced countries of the world.