Jonathan Babalola, Vice Chancellor of Bowen University in Iwo, Osun State, has voiced dissatisfaction with the government’s decision to transform polytechnics into universities.
According to Babalola, the need for certifications among Nigerians encourages falsification.
Speaking on Monday, October 30, during the institution’s pre-convocation press briefing ahead of the 18th Convocation ceremonies, the VC advised employers of labour to remunerate employees based on capacity to deliver, rather than the certificate possessed.
He said: “I am strongly disappointed in the Federal Government when they allow all the technical institutions to die, am strongly disappointed in the Federal Government when they started converting polytechnics to universities.
“What you need is skills. The federal government should rise up to that responsibility and I think they should stop looking at certificates. The point that you have a PhD does not mean that you actually have what it takes to be a PhD holder and this craving for certificates is what has made many Nigerians to be forging certificates.
“People should not be paid based on the certificate they have, they should be paid based on what they can deliver. If you know you are going to be paid based on what you are going to deliver, you will do all you can to get things that will make you deliver.”
Giving other details about the graduates in the 18th convocation, the Vice Chancellor, said a total of 834 students would be convocating with bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in various academic fields.
According to him, 83 students obtained First Class, 338, Second Class Upper, while 222 others got Second Class Lower, adding that 65 students would bag Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree.
