The Vice Chancellor of Babcock University, Ilisan Remo, Ogun State, Prof. Ademola Tayo, has described the high electricity tariff being paid monthly by higher institutions as a very big threat to the survival of the schools.
He stated this on Sunday during the 22nd convocation ceremony of the university.
According to him, the situation has put the universities in tight corners and threatening their financial well being.
“In the month of May this year, our university was slammed with a bill of over N300 million by the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Limited. It was not a matter of whether we used that much, but since we are their customers and regardless of our own efforts to generate power internally, we have to pay. It is until we are able to wean ourselves from the company by producing our power needs 100 percent that we won’t be in such a situation.
“The government should just reduce the tariff for universities. The tariff is a threat to sustainable and quality education. We are challenged in making quality education affordable for people in the face of soaring inflation. On our part at Babcock University, we are not going to lower our standards,” he said.
Recall that Vanguard, few weeks ago, did a special report where the plight of public universities in meeting their power needs was highlighted and how the humongous bills being paid by them are affecting their operations.
The VC explained that out of the 2,842 students graduating at first degree level, 132 bagged first class and 16 got distinction in medical sciences.
He added that all the university’s programmes had been duly accredited by the National Universities Commission, NUC, and other relevant professional bodies.
Delivering a convocation commencement speech titled, “Go and replenish the earth: Man’s misconception of God’s mandate,” renowned lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, described Nigeria as the only country in the world where resources are shared based on population and land mass.
He noted that many Nigerians, including political leaders, are misconstruing the mandate to replenish as given by God.
“The point must be made and poignantly so that there is no proximity between uncontrolled population and economic advancement or growth. Monaco, the second smallest country in the world, has a population of 36,157, yet Monaco ranks the richest economy in Europe, with a $240,862 GDP per capita.
” Contrariwise, the Democratic Republic of Congo, despite its rich natural resources, remains one of the poorest countries globally, with a high population rate compounding its economic and social challenges,” he said.
For the country to achieve higher and better Human Development Index, Olanipekun opined that Nigerians must replenish positively, following the footsteps of Ruth Goothesman who donated $1 billion left behind by her late husband to provide free tuition for students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York City, the United States among others.
He expressed regret that some youths feel migrating out of the country was the solution to their challenges, adding that Nigeria cannot be replenished from outside, but from within.
Olanipekun and Mrs Bukola Onikepo-Smith were honoured with honorary doctoral degrees at the event.
Governors Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State and Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State described Olanipekun and Onikepo-Smith as worthy of the honoured done them.
