In the African tradition, a responsible child cares and supports his parents when he/she is able. As a matter of fact, parents expect their well-to-do children to bear some of their responsibilities as both parties advance in age. Even the Bible underscores the import of ministering back to those who nurture us. In Galatians 6:6, Apostle Paul said: “Let him who is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things”.
With the word “communicate” here meaning “giving back to”, that settles the matter.
So, if the Bible commands it and African culture recommends it, then it is time for the alumni of universities in Nigeria to wake up to their obligation of giving back to their alma mater as it is done by their peers in world-class universities like Harvard, Stanford and Yale among several others.
This way, a lot of money will be generated by each university to make education more accessible, affordable and available with less dependence on government subventions, which many consider a drop in the ocean, as it is the trend in Nigeria.
For example, John A. Paulson, an alumnus of Harvard University, gave US$400 million endowment to his alma mater’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. John Arrillaga, an alumnus of Stanford University equally gave US$251 million to his institution; while Edward P. Bass, a former undergraduate of Yale University recently gave US$60 million to renovate and build science facilities, bringing his total lifetime giving to US$200 million.
The above was the position of the Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) at this year’s edition of the yearly lecture of the Faculty of Education of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife. Babalola, who was the guest speaker, was also conferred with the faculty’s ‘Award for Excellence’ for what the organisers described as his ‘exemplary contributions to Nigerian education”.
To further consolidate on his claim, Babalola said: “An alumnus of a university is the child of that university that trained and produced him/her. In reality, every alumnus has two pairs of parents: the biological and the university that trained him/her. There is no doubt that this great university has produced great scholars, industrialists, military bigwigs as well as seasoned administrators. One, therefore, expects an alumnus to recognise and treat the university the same way he/she treats the biological father. ‘’
Babalola recalled how the institution, which was formerly University of Ife, before it was rechristened, following the death of the first premier of Western Region Chief Obafemi Awolowo in May 1997, had graduated 136,270 students between 1964 and 2015. He noted that if only 75 per cent of these former students could support their alma mater with only N10,000 every year, OAU will would have been N1,022,020,000 richer today.
Babalola urged that the yearly distinguished lecture should henceforth be a platform to remind the alumni of the noble role of ploughing back to the institution some of their God-given resources. Babalola therefore challenged all former graduates of taking the university to greater heights by donating handsomely to the OAU Alumni Association.
To him, it should not be difficult for members who are gainfully employed, including those in business and politics, to donate 10 per cent of their income to alumni association endowment fund.
Babalola who spoke on the topic “The difficult march towards educational security in Nigeria: Law, policy and governance imperatives,” fears that Nigeria’s crave for affordable education may remain a mirage unless its Constitution recognises the basic right of its citizens to education as a justifiable and enforceable right.
The frontline educationist frowned at the scenario whereby the 1999 Constitution foisted on Nigerians by the Military put education under Chapter II of the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy.
This chapter provides as follows: “The Government shall strive to eradicate illiteracy; and to this end Government shall, as and when practicable, provide (a) free, compulsory and universal primary education; (b) free secondary education; (c) free university education; and (d) free adult literacy programme”.
As good and robust as the above provisions are, Section 6(6) (c), of the same constitution however provides that: ‘The Judiciary shall have no powers to decide on any issue or question as to whether any act of omission by any authority or person is in conformity with the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy.’
Consciously or unconsciously therefore, this provision makes it impossible for citizens to sue the government for failing to provide free or quality education. In essence, like a Greek gift, the constitution in one breath contains wishful aspirations or dreams about education, and in another breath takes it away from the citizens.
Babalola, therefore, stressed the urgency to repeal these provisions which he described as ‘archaic’, including Chapter IV of the Constitution where the right to education is sadly cosmetic, being a chapter that cannot be enforced in any court of law in Nigeria, as it fails to recognise education as an important and enforceable fundamental human right in Nigeria.
His words: “While other serious countries have guaranteed the right to education through enforceable legal instruments that empower citizens to hold the political class accountable for failing to finance education, Nigerians are left to depend on the goodwill of the ruling class or pursue incessant strike actions, due to the failure of the political class to protect, defend and fulfill the fundamental human rights to education”.
He added: “Not only have governments failed to finance and equip our education systems to be qualitative, competitive and functional, they have also failed to address barriers such as endemic poverty and conflicts that militate against access to quality education.’’
Nonetheless, Babalola is optimistic! He believes hope is not yet lost if all stakeholders in the education sector appreciate that they have pivotal, sacred and indispensable roles to play in contributing their voices, ideas and opinions to debates on how qualitative education can be more accessible, available and affordable in Nigeria.
“The government’s inertia or failure is not the greatest loss; the greatest loss is when educated minds fail to inspire the next generation”. But with the caste of committed academic giants the country can boast of today, Nigeria has all it takes to inspire the next generation to greatness,” the legal luminary added.
- Olofintula is Head of Corporate Communication, Afe Babalola University(ABUAD), Ado Ekiti
