The Department of Philosophy of University of Lagos (UNILAG) has inaugurated some projects to lift the department.
This was done last week on campus.
Speaking at the inauguration, Prof.
Douglas Anele, immediate past Head of Department (HOD) of Philosophy, said the projects would assist in facilitating teaching, learning and community development.
He said: “I must say that we are over excited over these positive developments in our department today.
“This is because, despite the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, series of strikes and in spite of my serious ill health, I was able to achieve some legacy projects, as the Head of Department of Philosophy of this university.
“The projects are the seminar room, which was facilitated by the Institute of African and Diaspora Studies, here in UNILAG, through the Director, Prof. Muyiwa Falaiye.
“Then, a complete refurnishing of our Postgraduate lecture room by the Olori Francis Meshioye Foundation. In fact, I want to boast that the Department of Philosophy has the best Postgraduate lecture room among public universities in Nigeria today’’.
Anele noted that the third was the refurnishing of the HOD’s office by the little resources of the department and his own fund.
“So, these are the three projects that we are inaugurating today. That is why I brought those who facilitated some of those projects, my friends and colleagues to the inauguration ceremony today,” he said.
He said the projects would serve as template for his successor to ensure that he leaves a legacy project.
“It is not always about what you can get. The problem of leadership in the country is that those people in leadership position are always thinking of what they can get.
“But the moment you put yourself aside, no matter how tight the funds are. You can imagine, since 2020 till now, I had faced serious health challenges and still able to put all these in place.
“I feel it should be a model for others to copy. I have done my bit. I have handed the baton to my successor. So, I will keep reminding him but the quality of job done is solid,” he said.
Founder of Olori Francis Meshioye Foundation, a non-governmental Organisation (NGO), Francis Meshioye, who sponsored the refurnishing of the postgraduate lecture room, urged parents to step up efforts to preserve culture and foster inclusiveness, resilience among children.
According to him, culture is the only weapon to guide youths and the country to greatness.
Meshioye said sustaining culture would facilitate development, promote unity and inspire inclusiveness.
“Today, we are inaugurating projects in our department, which is part of our mission to foster our culture. One of such projects is the Postgraduate lecture room, to support the university in the area of renovation’’.
“We want to support whatever we can do to sustain the African culture and ensure it is promoted and brought to limelight, not underrated, because every nation’s culture matters a lot. It is part of our culture to give, reach out and support.
“We will not fold our hands and watch our culture goes into extinction.
“Remember culture determines how one goes about life, relate with people and it makes one get well rooted. When you are well rooted, you can channel your path easily and very well too.
“If anyone should forget his or her culture, then it is possible that such person will be afloat and when one is afloat, then there is a problem.
“If there are other ideologies, on the issue of civilisation, there is nothing wrong about that but that should not be at the detriment of our own understanding. You only dispose things that are no longer useful.
“I should not try to be a Chinese, when I am an African but I can look at what a Chinese does that could assist me in improving on what I already have.
“You don’t just hear that there is rain and rush off to throw away the one in your pot, even before the rain comes. It is only wise to collect and add it up.
“I don’t mind civilisation, it is a beautiful thing but you do not reject what you are doing or discard your root and identity because of it,’’ he said.
He said much as civilisation was good, it must not be allowed to erode the culture.
“For instance, you don’t scold your children because they speak your native language. It is not done.
“This is because, it is this local language that gives them the sense of integration and makes them unique. There are things one cannot change through translation but when it is said in the local language, the children would have deep understanding of it,” he said.