The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Prof. Peter Okebukola

  • ‘Babalola’s wise sayings, an inspiration for future generation’

    Former Executive Secretary National Universities Commission Prof Peter Okebukola, has described many wise sayings of legal luminary Aaare Afe Babalola as a material ideal for the present and future generation desirous of getting to the pinnacle of their careers in life.

    Okebukola said despite his humble beginning, Aare Babalola’s achievements particularly in law, education, and agriculture today, is a pointer to the fact that man can truly achieve his or her destiny regardless of social, religious or economic background.

    Okebukola addressed new students and guests Monday last week at Afe Babalola University Ado Ekiti (ABUAD) Founder’s Day and matriculation for the 2018/2019 academic session.). Okebukola spoke on the topic, Seven cardinal principles for sustaining quality in ABUAD.

    Babalola’s grass-to-grass story, according to Okebukola, has inspired many of his (Babalola) wise sayings, adding that these beautiful thoughts should be permanently inscribed on signage and erected all over ABUAD campuses, so as to inspire others towards excellence.

    He likened many of Babalola’s epigram across print and electronic media, as well as his law books, as products of his personal experiences, many of which also shaped the legal icon’s destiny to greatness and prosperity.

    “Aare Afe Babalola has remained one of the most decorated personalities within and outside Africa till date,” Okebukola began.

    “His write-ups and wise sayings over the years have been documented  though and have and still remained sources of inspirations to young and coming generations who desire to make success their watchword regardless how poor their families are.

    “To this end, I am recommending that the university should have all wise sayings of Aare Afe Babalola compiled in a single document and inscribed on signage to be erected at strategic points across ABUAD.

    “Africa has had great leaders like Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Nelson Mandela (former President of South Africa), and many others. At present, Aare Babalola currently ranks as one of the distinguished Africans that the whole world is proud of. I, therefore, believe that one other means by which this great man of Africa can further be immortalised is by erecting his wise saying across ABUAD which Babalola himself established to set a standard in quality education delivery.

    “I am kick starting this project with a sum of N1 million. I also encourage everyone here who loves quality, success, and transformative education that ABUAD is pioneering, to support this laudable project.”

    Okebukola equally praised the university’s reward system, likening it to one of the best in Africa.

    The professor of Science Education, noted that when an institution, by culture, encourages hardworking staff and exemplary students through cash reward and other incentives, such gestures automatically spurs them to achieve more.

    Thanking Okebukola for the gesture, Babalola said ABUAD initiative, sprung from his desire to correct the impressions by the West that portrays the Black Man as undisciplined and lacking in foresight and self-control.

    “Today, with what we have achieved in eight years, I can proudly and boldly say that we have proved Lord Lugard and those who view that Africans can in fact not make it wrong.

    “With your cooperation, education revolution has begun in ABUAD. We are building a new generation of new Nigerians.We are happy that our regulator the NUC (Nation Universities Commission) and other stakeholders have applauded the revolution which has begun in ABUAD.”

    The event witnessed the formal oath taking of 200 new students,   and the official commissioning of Parents Teacher Consultative Forum amphitheatre.

    The event also featured presentation of cash awards to some three outstanding graduates of ABUAD-Ekop Naomi Uwem; Adewole Mary Tofarati; Adepoju Blessing Oluwapemilerin as well as Opajobi Oyinloye Bukola. The trio made their alma mater proud at the Nigerian Law School. Similarly, a  200-Level Management Science undergraduate and a student of ICAN Nellikenw Ochinike, were also rewarded financially rewarded for emerging the overall best candidate in West Africa at the September ATS 1 ICAN examination.

  • 26% UNESCO funding benchmark a myth — Okebukola

    Prof. Peter Okebukola, former Executive Secretary, National University Commission (NUC), says the acclaimed 26 per cent United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) funding benchmark was nothing but a myth.

    Okebukola disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the 8th Convocation and honorary award of doctorate degree of Caleb University, Imota, Lagos.

    NAN reports that some Nigerian educational bodies and unions had agitated for the implementation of “UNESCO-recommended” 26 per cent of national budget benchmark and six per cent of the gross domestic products (GDP) for funding of Education.

    “There is nothing like 26 per cent UNESCO benchmark anywhere, it is just a myth.

    “In 2001, I was the Executive Secretary of NUC and I started hearing this 26 per cent UNESCO benchmark and wondered where it was coming from because I have been consulting for UNESCO.

    “I have been writing on funding the university education everywhere, so I wonder where the recommendation was coming from and I told the then Minister of Education in October 2001 to attend the UNESCO general conference.

    “I went to the Director General of UNESCO during the conference and asked about the 26 per cent, but he also wondered which 26 per cent I was talking about,” he said.

    Okebukola noted that the acclaimed 26 per cent benchmark had become so popular even among the elite because when you keep telling lies every day it becomes like truth.

    He challenged Nigerians to go to Ghana and other countries in world and also check literatures for confirmation.

    According to him, they will not find such recommendation anywhere other than in Nigeria.

    The NUC boss said the acclaimed benchmark was made popular because it came from a union in the education system and the public were also quoting it.

    Okebukola explained that when it comes to issues of funding, UNESCO do not usually peg any percentage.

    According to him, UNESCO rather encourages all member states to provide financial resources for the education sector to meet the contextual need of their countries.

    “UNESCO just advise countries to examine the decay in your education system and see what kind of money you can invest to address the need, which can be more than 30 or even 50 per cent, ” he said. (NAN)

  • ICT panacea to poor reading culture, says Okebukola

    ICT panacea to poor reading culture, says Okebukola

    Former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Prof Peter Okebukola, has urged schools from basic to tertiary levels to inculcate in their learners the culture of reading via Information and Communication Technology (ICT) gadgets. This, according to him, is one of the ways a decline in reading culture among children and youths can be arrested.

    Okebukola said parents, teachers and government all continue to complain about crashing reading culture, without acknowledging the fact that physical books are fast fading into extinction, and are becoming less attractive to children of nowadays.

    The former executive secretary delivered a keynote address at the annual conference/AGM of the Nigerian Publishers Association which held at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, last  Thursday. It was themed: Functional national book policy: A catalyst for educational development

    Okebukola said due to their schooldays experience, most parents erroneously believe ‘reading from books’ alone is the only way by which knowledge can be acquired.

    He said: “Reading culture does not necessarily mean reading books, because that’s what people really think should be the trend.

    “But many of our children use this gadget that we have. So if we are able to put contents in their hand held devices, then it would help to stimulate their reading culture.

    And if we have programmes in the school system that will push the children to read, that would also help to some extent. In another 20 years, you are hardly going to get physical books because they would have been like relics. The world is moving fast towards digitalising the resources.

    “We have books and books everywhere, but people to read the books don’t have the appetite to do so.

    So you have reading culture that is depressing in Nigeria, and if this is not arrested, we just continue to get books flooding the market and the knowledge encoded in the books does not get translated. What we need to do from pre primary up to university is to encourage the development of the teaching culture from students to teachers and even parents.

    “To do this will include enhancing literacy level because you want to read only words you have the ability to. Our agencies at the federal and state levels that are concerned with promoting literacy should also strive to see how reading culture can be promoted.

    As former NUC boss  17 years ago, Okebukola said the commission saw the phenomenon of e books and journals coming; hence mandated universities nationwide to have e libraries in addition to physical libraries that would grant their students access to academic materials online.

    He therefore urged NPA to be wary of this phenomenon and therefore be proactive.

    “These people are yet to catch up with the reality but the circumstances of the future will compel them the change because e books will be the vogues as student will prefer reading through ICT-devices,” Okebukola added.

    The high point of the event is the unveiling of the books exhibition

    Earlier President of NPA Mr Gbadega Adedapo, described the body established 52 years ago, as a confluence between the government and citizenry in providing quality educational materials to the populace as well as promote and protect publishers.

    According to him, the theme of the conference was based on the exposure the body has witnessed over the years and how same experience has affected development in education with its consequent effect on the economy.

    He said NPA would continue to seek implementation of functional book policy in further development of the sector.

    “There are myriads of problems still encompassing the book publishing industry such as book piracy which has degenerated into mistrust among stakeholders as well as availability of raw materials and equipment to process it. We are optimistic of the fact that functional book policies if implemented would solve some of these problems. On that note, we need full support of our government,” he concluded.

  • Use your talents to develop Nigeria, Okebukola urges graduating students

    Use your talents to develop Nigeria, Okebukola urges graduating students

    Prof. Peter Okebukola, former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, (NUC)  has urged graduating students of the Caleb University, Imota, Lagos to deploy their God-given talents and quality training to develop Nigeria.

    Okebukola, who is the Chairman, Board of Trustee of the institution, made the appeal at the institution`s seventh convocation on Friday in Lagos.

    He told the graduates to allow their entrepreneurial spirit come alive and stick to the noble ideas and core values of the institution.

    He listed such core values to include Godliness, innovation, service, integrity, teamwork, excellence and creativity.

    “To my ‘Emerald Graduating Class’, the entire country looks forward to you to be God-Solution Persons (GSP’s).

    “You must be ready to deploy your God-given talents and the quality training, you have received at Caleb, to action beginning from your time at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme,’’ Okebukola said.

    Brig.-Gen. Mobolaji Johnson, (rtd) who is the University`s Chancellor, urged all the alumni to be worthy ambassadors of the university.

    Johnson commended the Council, Senate, and Management of the institution for maintaining high academic and moral standard.

    Prof. Fola Tayo, the University Pro-Chancellor, advised the graduating students to be an unusual and strange person, “who is out to make a change’’.

    “Be an odd person that cannot be fitted into the Nigerian corrupt and inhuman cage.

    “Be a man or a woman, who can ask questions and will never compromise the standard of established laws, regulations and procedure.

    “Remember, you are answerable to God, not man and in the choice between obeying man or God, you are enjoined to be on God’s side,’’ Tayo said.

    Also, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Daniel Aina, remarked that the seventh set of graduates produced by the university, “comprise of the most brilliant minds, who will positively affect the future of Nigeria and Africa’’.

    “That they are the seventh set itself is a study in excellence and perfection, and for us, that is a journey and it begins with these privileged individuals,’’ he said.

    The VC said the institution produced 405 graduates this year as against 355 graduates in 2016.

    He said 361 out of the 405 graduates received the Bachelor degree honours while 44 post-graduate students received the Master’s degrees.

    “In the breakdown of the 409 graduating students, 14 persons made First Class honours, 142 are in Second Class Upper, 162 are in Second Class Lower divisions while 47 finished with Third Class division.

    “Others in the class of higher degrees were 12 for Master Business Administration and 32 MSc Architecture’’, he said.

    Aina named the best graduating student as Miss Elizabeth Nejo from the Department of Mass Communication.

    Nejo made a Commutative Grade Point Aggregate (CGPA) of 4.85.

    According to the VC, Mr Qadri Ahmed of the Department of Architecture is the best post-graduate graduating students with a CGPA of 4.91.

    He announced that the certificate and transcript of the new graduates were ready, signed and would be issued to them, once they have been cleared by the university. (NAN)

  • Porous foundation responsible for low graduates’ quality – Okebukola

    Porous foundation responsible for low graduates’ quality – Okebukola

    The recent drop in the quality of graduates from tertiary institutions has been attributed to the lack of good foundation. Prof. Peter Okebukola, the Pro-Chancellor, Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun, made this statement on Wednesday.

    Okebukola, who is also a former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), said this at the 8th convocation ceremony of Crawford University.

    The faith-based university is owned by the Apostolic Faith Church, West and Central Africa.

    Okebukola said that the blame for the poor quality of graduates cannot be solely shouldered by tertiary education scholars alone, but poor foundation contributed largely to the menace.

    “We are burdened with the overall poor quality of graduates from Nigerian university system. Over the last 25 years, NUC and other stakeholders have been battling with redeeming the poor image.

    “Many of the redemption strategies have apparently not worked. Now is the time to change strategy in the spirit of this administration’s `Change Mantra’ and there are six strategies to employ.

    “The proposal on these strategies is based on the intensive study of the Nigerian university system over the last two years and consideration of recent international best practices,’’ he said.

    The pro-chancellor said that for the education system to be brought back to its glorious years, it must undergo a complete overhaul.

    “The first thing we should do is to undertake a complete overhaul of the basic and senior secondary system to improve the feedstock into our universities.

    “Why blame the universities for the poor quality of graduates if all you are feeding them is mediocre and poor quality secondary school leavers.

    “We cannot throw garbage into our universities and expect to reap gold. We need a complete turnaround of our pre-tertiary education because that is where the foundation is laid.

    “If the foundation is faulty, the tertiary level will have little to do because it is like a graduate that cannot construct a simple sentence in English; can he or she learn that in a higher institution?,’’ he asked.

    Okebukola advised that Nigeria should take a cue from other countries that have revamped their education sector through improved basic education.

    “We need to turn to countries with exemplary practices in this sub-sector as confirmed by the 2016 international comparisons of performance.

    “A way that is working in relatively poor countries as Singapore and Finland is to significantly improve investment in teachers’ quality, facilities and monitoring of the curriculum delivery process.

    “The second strategy is to pay attention to improvement in the quality and quantity of teachers in our universities because there is currently an estimated shortfall of about 40 percent in the number of teachers in schools.

    “We also need to rejuvenate the university ranking system and redouble the ICT resourcing of the system alongside strengthening the capacity of teaching in ICT literacy.”

    NAN reports that the 11-year-old university graduated 231,148 from College of Social Sciences and 81 from the College of Natural and Applied Sciences.

    Crawford University also has 21 first class with eight from the College of Social Sciences and 13 from the College of Natural and Applied Sciences.