FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY,AKURE

5TH AND 6TH CONVOCATION-ADDRESSES

;2ND NOVEMBER, 1991 AND 18TH AND 19THDECEMBER, 1992 - '-

CONTENTS

Page

*Goodwill message from the President, General Ibrahim B. Babangida on theoccasion of the 5th Convocation Ceremony on 2nd November, 1991 1

*Address by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council,Chief G. A. E. Longe on the occasion of the 5th Convocation Ceremonyheld on Saturday, 2nd November, 1991 7

*Address by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Albert A. Ilemobade on the occasionof the 5th Convocation, on Saturday, November 2, 1991 11

*An address by the President, General Ibrahim B. Babangida on the SixthConvocation Ceremony held on 19th December, 1992. 19

*Address by the Pro-Chancellor, Chief G. A. E. Longe on the first day of the6th Convocation held on 18th December, 1992 . 24

*An address by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. A. A. Ilemobade on the first day ofthe 6th Convocation -Ceremony, 18th December, 1992( 26

*Address by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council,Chief G. A. E. Longe on the occasion ofthe 6th Convocation Ceremonyheld ou the 19th December, 1992 35

*An address delivered by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. A. A. Ilemobade on thesecond day of the University's Sixth Convocation held on Saturday, 19th

December, 1992 38

*Education and Development in Nigeria by General Olusegun Obasanjo at theConvocation Ceremony of FUTA, 19th Decemberf 1992 46

*Citation on Conferment of Doctor of Science(Honoris Causa) upon-General Olusegun Obasanjo (Rtd) 52-Prof. Oladipo Olujimi Akinkugbe(CON) 56-Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin . 59-Prof. Samuel Adepoju Aluko 63-Prof. Godwin Olu Patrick Obasi(OFR) 67

GOODWILL MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEFOF THE ARMED FORCES, GENERAL IBRAHIM BADAMASI BABANGIDA

CFR, FSS,mni, ON THE OCCASION OF THE 5TH CONVOCATIONCEREMONY OF THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE

ON 2ND NOVEMBER, 1991Members of the Armed Forces Ruling Council,Members of the Federal Executive Council,The Military Governor of Ondo State,Members of the Diplomatic Corps,The Chancellor,Chancellors of other Nigerian Universities,Distinguished Honorary Graduands,The Vice-Chancellor,Your Royal Highnesses, Emirs and Chiefs,My Lords, Spiritual and Temporal,Members of Council,Staff and Students,Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen.

So soon, another year has rolled by since I paid my maiden visit to your buddingUniversity and had the opportunity of participating in the ceremony which climaxed yourepoch-making quadruple convocation ceremony.

On that occasion, it was clear to me that yours was a community where all-theChancellor, the Governing Council, the Vice-Chancellor and his Principal Officers, staffand students-were working in unison to achieve the ideals of a progressive, result-oriented, modern University. During my address then and at every other subsequent op-portunity, I have expressed my admiration and satisfaction with your performance andpace of development. Not only have you made giant strides in the area of your academicprogrammes, you have also continued to be a shining example to others in peaceful andorderly existence, prudent management of scarce resources and methodical and systematiclaying. of a solid and lasting foundation of excellence. I am particularly delighted thatreports reaching me since I was last in your campus continue to confirm and strengthenmy confidence that your enviable tradition and reputation of a peaceful, dynamic institu-tion has become entrenched.

I appeal to you to continue in the same vein and to pursue your well-articulated ob-jectives with a sense of mission that will ensure the speedy realization of the dreams of thefounding fathers of the Universities of Technology. I am sure that you have started on theright footing and if, as I hope, you maintain 'the same momentum, you will surely becomenot only a model for others to emulate but also an envy of other universities, both old andnew. I implore you not to relent in your effort to establish and maintain the highest stan-dards of teaching, learning, research and improved infrastructural facilities. By so dOing,you would have demonstrated that where there is a will, there is always a way.

I believe that, as a University of Technology, you are already exploring thepossibilities of improvising many of the tools and equipment that you require for the pro-secution of your teaching and research activities. The nation, naturally, looks up touniversities such as yours to blaze the trail in innovations, adaptations, inventions andcopy technology. In the true spirit of your motto, which is "Technology for Self-

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IBRAHIM BADAMASI BABANGIDA CFR fssmniPRESIDENT, COMMANDER·IN·CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA

Reliance". you should lead the way in looking more and more.Inwards for your flnancialsalvation and generate substantial revenue to supplement the subvention from Govern-ment which is necessarily limited by other equally weighty competing demands. These arein addition to lump-sum grants to some universities for specific proiects;: and to thegenerous donation by Government to endowment funds launched by individual univer-sities. Moreover. as you are all aware. the Government set up the Gray Longe Commis-sion to take a critical look at all the ramifications of the university system in Nigeria andcome up with concrete proposals. The report has just been submitted and is being critical-ly studied. It is hoped that the recommendations of the Commission will constitute a ma-

. jor blueprint for-this and subsequent Administration to tackle the problems of universitieson a more permanent basis.

Admittedly. on the short term. there is still room for a lot more to be done. At thesame time. however. oneshould not relent in reminding everyone that it will be totallyunrealistic to expect Government to bear the burden of funding universities alone.ThiSexplains our persistent appeal to the universities to be more resourceful and widen theirrevenue-generating base considerably in order to narrow the gap between their needs andavailable Government subvention. This is a challenge that the universities have to con-front. We believe that with the requisite will and determination. they have the expertiseand the energy to fully exploit the abundant avenues for generating substantial additionalrevenue. Once again. I want to reiterate my appeal to our wealthy citizens. corporatebodies. particularly industrial and commercial concerns. and philanthropists all over thenation and beyond. to assist the university system financially. in order to ensure areasonable level of funding at all times.

Students' In~ipllne aud Unrest:

At this juncture, I would like to touch on an issue thai has gradually developed into acause of great concern to this Administration. This Administration, as we have oftenunderscored, is fully committed to the transition programme which is scheduled to ter-minate sometime in 1992. In spite of the pervadingatmosphere and culture of cynicismand doubt, we in Governnient believe that the programme is well on course ana-no groupor individual will be allowed to derail it. It is the certainty of military hand over to civilrule in 1992 that makes it even more worrying that some of our youths, as epitomized byour articulate university students, do not. yet seem to have imbibed the right spirit ofpatriotism, decent societal values and high moral principles. Our youths, who are theleaders of tomorrow, seem to be exhibiting, more and more, some of the worst traits of in-discipline, criininaiity IU)dmoral decadence. A number-of our higher institutions of learn-ing are becoming less and less citadels of learning and respectable factories Of invaluablehuman capital. Rather, they are fast acquiring the colour of the most deplorable hide-outsfor blood-letting secret cults and fertile breeding grounds for violence.

All these call for sober reflection. Apologists for the situation put the blame on theeconomic situation. This, to me, is tantamount to begging the issue. A relevant question,as far as the universities are concerned, is to what extent do the universities take seriouslytheir responsibility of turning our people who can be adjudged to be "sound in learningand character"? To a lay on-looker, it would seem that at-best, the universities' exclusiveconcern is soundness in learning. Through our united effort to lay a sound foundation fora greater tomorrow, this trend must be reversed. I am pleased to note that reports fromFUT, Akure, give us hope to believe that our youth can be at the vanguard of a peacefulera.

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FeUcitatioD~.

It now remains for me to congratulate the celebrants of today, You undoubtedly haveevery cause to feel elated and proud of yourselves for successfully scaling your first majorhurdle in life. You are the fifth crop of this unique experiment in technological education,and I believe that you have found your education and training here a particularly rewar-ding and highly enriching experience. I have been told that all your predecessors arealready making their impact felt within the larger Nigerian society, through their in-novative and resourceful approach to their duties. Many of them are not only self-employed but are actively generating employment for others. I am sure that you, too, arelooking forward to facing and tackling the daunting challenges that await you in the out-side world. Nigeria, particularly at these most trying times, is in dire need of young menand women of your calibre with the technological orientation and expertise that wouldassist in ushering the nation into a new era of rapid national development and economicself-reliance. I am confident that you are all up to the task and that you will not disap-point us-the Government, your parents, your alma mater and the larger Nigerian society.You are expected to promote the good image of your alma mater and be its worthy am-bassadors so that you may remain a beacon of light to generations coming behind you. Itis my ardent prayer that the Almighty God may continue to guide you in all yourendeavours.

Finally, I heartily congratulate the Pro-Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor and hisdedicated team of teachers, administrators and other staff, for their assiduity andachievements in ensuring the progress of this institution. I commend them all for anothersuccessful academic year and for making the events of today possible.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you all for your attention.

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H.R.H. ALHAJI ZULKARNAINI GAMBARI MOHAMMED, CFR. Hon. LL.DHon. LL.D. (Akurel Hon. LL.D. (Ilorin)

Aiyelabowo V. Emir of ttorinChancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure

ADDRESS BY THE PRO-CHANCELLOR AND CHAIRMAN OF THE

GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY,

AKURE, CHIEF G. A. E. LONGE, CFR, ON THE OCCASION OF THE

5TH CONVOCATION CEREMONY OF THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF

TECHNOLOGY, AKURE, HELD ON SATURDAY, 2ND NOVEMBER, 1991

General Ibrahim Babangida, President, Commander-in-Chief of theArmed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,Service Chiefs,Members of the Armed Forces Ruling Council,The Military Governor of Ondo State,Honourable Minister of Education,Honourable Minister of Science and Technology,Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure,Honourable Ministers and Commissioners,Your Excellencies,Honourable Visiting Chancellors and Pro-Chancellors,The Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology Akure,The Visiting Vice-Chancellors,Your Royal Highnesses,My Lords, Spiritual and Temporal,Members of Council and Senate,Graduands,Distinguished Guests,Ladies and Gentlemen.

Forthe fifth year running, it has fallen to my lot to have the rare privilege of welcom-ing you to yet another convocation ceremony. On behalf of Council, Senate and the entirestaff and students of this University, I thank you all for honouring our invitation.

My special thanks and welcome go first of all to our highly respected Visitor who isvery ably represented here by the Military Governor of Ondo State, Navy Captain.Abiodun Olukoya. On this occasion last year, we had the unique privilege of hosting theVisitor himself who was paying his maiden visit to our University. That occasion has eversince then remained very green in our memory. We would be grateful, Sir,if you wouldconvey our sincerest gratitude to the Visitor for his presence, generous donation andweighty words of encouragement at last year's activities, we salute him on his single-minded pursuit of the transition programme. We assure him of our loyalty, cooperationand total support at all times and wish him continued good health and God's guidance.

Next, my thanks go to the Military Governor of Ondo State, Navy Captain SundayAbiodun Olukoya, for his attendance at this convocation and particularly for his invaluable support and encouragement at all times. We are pleased that, like hispredecessors in office, he has stretched his hands of fellowship out to us and given.us dueattention when required.

To our Commissioners, Royal Fathers, My Lords, temporal and spiritual and otherdistinguished guests, I say a hearty welcome and a big thank you for being with us.

I recall with very deep regret, the loss of our Royal Father, our great benefactor,dependable friend and reverred alumnus, His Royal Highness, Oba Adelegan Adesida,

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CHIEF GRAY A. E. LONGE, CFR, B.A., LL.B (London), B.L.

Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council,Federal University of Technology, Akure

the lateDeji of Akure. His name is inscribed in the annals of this University in letters ofgold. From the inception of this University, he stood firmly by us and fostered a most cor-di~ relationship between us and the entire people of Akure. In acknowledgement of hisimmense contribution to the growth of this University, we conferred on him the honorarydegree of this university in1989. His delight was undisguised. He wore his crown andgown with dignity and pride. We miss his warmth and generosity. He was a good father tous in F. U. T. A.

May I respectfully, Mr Visitor, Sir, enjoin all present here to stand up and observeone minute's silence in honour of the late Deji of Akure, His Royal Highness, ObaAdelegan Adesida. May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace (Amen).

Activities and Achievements Since the Last Convocation

In my last convocation address, I indicated that a new Governing Council had comeinto office in August 1990, and I had the singular honour of being re-appointed as itsChairman. This new Council has endeavoured to give the University the type of leadershipwhich should make it unique in the Nigerian university system. I wish to seize this oppor-tunity to thank the members of Council for their commitment to the cause of F. U. T. A.

Since the commissioning of some projects during the last convocation ceremonies,the University has embarked on a few other projects, including the first phase of theUniversity Community Centre which will serve students and staff, the AdministrationBlock and the Power House. The University Stadium is now nearing completion.

I am pleased to say that the University continues to grow from strength to strengthnot only in terms o~ physical facilities, but also in academic activities. We-have recordedincreases both in students and staff numbers. In line with our reputation, we have main-tained peace and tranquility on our campus. The credit for this state of affairs goes firstand foremost to the Vice-Chancellor and his immediate lieutenants who, through maturejudgement, and commendable leadership have successfully sustained calm and cordialitywithin the University community throughout the year. I also commend the entire staff andstudents for their cooperation and understanding.

The Visitor, Sir, we are highly appreciative of the efforts of the Government to im-prove the conditions of our universities, and to find solutions to their multifarious pro-blems. Let me here publicly acknowledge the many laudable measures which the govern-ment has introduced in recent times to further improve the lot of both staff and studentsof Nigerian universities. Not entirely satisfied with this fire brigade approach, the Govern-ment has itself, set out to find a permanent solution to the recurring problems of ouruniversities through the Commission on the review of higher education in Nigeria, ofwhich I was privileged to be the Chairman, Suffice it to say that the Commission recentlysubmitted its report titled "Higher Education in the 90s and beyond" to Mr President.The Commission responded vigorously to Mr President's injunction to "be. bold, im-aginative, creative but realistic in its recommendations"

Congratulatory Messages:

I now turn to the students who are the main celebrants of today. I congratulate youall for emerging victorious at the end of a long journey. Your experience here at F, U. T.A. should have prepared you to face the challenges of life outside the university. The mostenduring challenge out there is for you to be resilient and innovative, taking, advantage of

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any, and all opportunities whichpi esent themselves for honest gamful employment.There is no place for the diffident and overly calculating. The prize awaits those whothink big and act boldly. Your predecessors are, happily ,giving a good account ofthemselves in various fields of endeavour. Go out there and join them, and be a source ofpride to yourselves, your parents, this university and the nation at large. I wish you tbebest of luck.

Once again, I congratulate the Vice-Chancellor, all his staff and the students, all ofwhom have made the event of today possible. I also wish to publicly congratulate Pro-fessor E. A. Adeyemi for his re-appointment for another two-year term as the DeputyVice-Chancellor, I wish him a successful tenure of office.

Finally, I thank everyone present here and wish you God's travelling mercies as youreturn to your various destinations after this ceremony. .

May God bless you all.

ADDRESS BY THE VICE-CHANCELLOR OF THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OFTECHNOLOGY, AKURE, PROFESSOR ALBERTA. ILEMOBADE, ON THE OC-CASION OF THE 5TH CONVOCATION OF THE UNIVERSITY, ON SATURDAY,

NOVEMBER 2.1991Representative of the Visitor,The Military Governor of Ondo State, Nayy Captain SundayAbiodun Olukoya,Honourable Chancellor;Representative of the Honourable Minister of Educanon,Representative of the Honourable Minister of Science andTechnology;Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the Federal Universityof Technology, Akure,Honourable Commissioner of Education of Ondo State,Honourable Ministers, Honourable Commissioners,Secretary to the State Government,Your Excellencies,My Lords, Spiritual and Temporal,Honourable Visiting Chancellors and Pro-Chancellors,Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission,Visiting Vice-Chancellors, Rectors and. Provosts,Our Reverted Traditional Rulers,Directors-General and Top Government Functionaries,Members of Council, Members of Senate,Staff and Students of F. U. T. A.,Toe Graduands of today,Friends of the University,Distinguished Guests,Ladies and Gentlemen.

It gives me great pleasure to join my Pro-Chancellor in extending warm welcome toall of you, our esteemed' guests, to this year's convocation. As you are aware, this is ourfifth convocation and we should soon be celebrating our tenth anniversary. It is therefore,an auspicious time for us to look back and thank the Lord for the blessings He hasbestowed on us these past years .•We rejoice with and congratulate the Class of 1991, whohave weathered the storm of academic pursuit and have been found worthy both incharacter and learning to be presented for the award of degress in their respectivedisciplines today. We are confident that, like their worthy predecessors, they are set tomake their marks in the larger society.

This time last year, we had the distinct privilege of having the Visitor, and Presidentof the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Generai Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida,CFR, fss, mni,with us to commission. some of the projects completed with the special Presidential grantof H20 million, launch ourHSO million Endowment Fund and present an address. We wantto use this opportunity to again thank Mr President for his interest in and support for theuniversity system,for his exhortation on that occasion and for the commendation whichhe gave us for which vyeremain proud and grateful. We also appreciate subsequent com-mendations which we have received fromMr President, the latest one being at hisSOthbirthday interview given to a national daily. I wish to assure Mr President that we shall

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continue to strive toremain a modeluniversity where the pursuit of excellence will be thehall mark. Wealso remain grateful to~r President for his generouscontribution, onbehalf of the Federal Government, to our Endowment Fund.

We want to use tbis opportunity to express our deep and sincere appreciation andthanks to those who (Yt'dus proud by contributing generously to our Endowment Fundlaunching, and event which led some national dailies in their headlines on the followingday to scream out thus: "Naira Rain at FUTA" among others. It was indeed a "rain" andwe wished the rain never stoppedI Bashorun M. K.O. Abiola, the Chief Launcher on thatoccasion had, in pledging Nl.lm to the fund, iridicated that this amount would be spreadover 6 months. Happily, however, Bashorun Abiola decided, -having seen the need for usto maintain a high tempo of work, to give out the entire fund within 1 month of the"ledge, we remain grateful tohUn. We have been fortunate in having most of the pledgesredeemed, a development which has enabled us to complete phase I of our network ofroads, commence the building of the University Community Centre and Power House,both of which are nearing completion and are expected to be commissioned before the endof the year, and present winners of the prizes endowed at that launching at this convoca-tion.I should mention that the 19prizes endowed by Bashorun M. K. O. Abiola at the lastconvocation in honour of19 eminent Nigerians are listed in the order of today's pro-ceedings (Nos,12-30: pages30-31). We remain grateful to all those who did us proudby their contributions to the development of this University and we appeal to all of ycu tocontinue to support us. Indeed, the Endowment Fund remains open to those who havecontributed and those who have not done so and we expect the rain of Naira to continue.

The University was also fortunate to have its Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Coun-cil, Chief Gray Longe,CFR, appointed as Chairman of the Commission on the Review ofHigher Education in Nigeria. The last review of higher education in Nigeria was that car-ried out under the Chairmanship of Sir Eric Ashby. The report commonly referred to as"Ashby Report", was submitted to the Federal Government in September, 1960, thirty-one years ago. We are delighted that our Pro-Chancellor was considered worthy to be ap-pointed as Chairman of this monumental Review Commission. We salute him for leadinghis team successfully, and for submitting the report of his Commission last month. Welook forward to the report and the "goodies" it may contain for the upliftment of theuniversity system in Nigeria.

It is meet and proper that I should, at this juncture, acknowledge with deep gratitude,the co-operation and support which I have received from 'the Governing Council of theUniversity under the able leadership of Chief Gray Longe,CFR, the Senate, Staff 'andstudents of this University. Their efforts have contributed greatly to the enviable positionthe University has attained.

I should now like to turn briefly to review the activities of the University in the pastyear.

Academic Development:

In the area of academic development, the University has continued to prosecute withincreased vigour and determination our undergraduate programmes. The new program-mes in Engineering, namely, Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical and Electronic Engineer-ing, and Environmehtal Technology, namely; Architecture, Estate Management, Quanti-ty Surveying, and Orban and Regional Planning are into their fourth year this session.

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School ofAgriculture and Agricultural Technology:

The School continues to pursue its academic programmes with vigour. It has alsocontinued to assist farmers and other bodies in the extension of research results into prac-tical use for the improvement of agricultural productivity. The research efforts in. theSchool continue to attract support from both national and international organizations.The International Foundation of Science (IFS) is currently supporting two projects inFarm Management and in Snail Management. The Commission of European Com-munities (BEC) Lome III continues to support the project on the control of AfricanAnimal Trypanosomiasis in six centres in the country in which the School is one; TheUnited Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) has ap-proved the siting of a Centre for Ecological Monitoring estimated at $3.8 million in theDepartment of Fisheries and Wildlife and a new project on onchocerciasis is being in-itiated between the University and Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, U. S. A.and isexpected to come on stream soon. The Post-Harvest Technology Unit which is supportedby the Union Bank's endowment ofMlOO,OOO.OO per annum, has made signficant progressin the designing and production of a number of harvesting and storage facilities,e.g.,maize dehusker/sheller; solar dryer for small-scale farmers and processors andmultiproduce storage bin for storing different grains, useful to housewives, small,medium and large-scale farmers and feedmillers.

As part of its staff development, two academic staff of the School are currentbeneficiaries of the Association of Commonwealth Universities Fellowship and the Alex-ander Von Humboldt Research Fellowship, respectively. Another was a recipient of theMcNamara Research Fellowship sponsored by the World Bank, to research into the"recycling of fish processing wastes into low-cost fish feeds"

School of Engineering and Engineering Technology:

This School, though relatively young, has been making its mark both in teaching,. research and service. Only in June this year, the Military Governor of Ondo State, NavyCaptain Sunday Abiodun Olukoya, commissioned a water hyacinth harvester designedjointly by experts in the Department of Agricultural Engineering and the Nigerian Societyof Engineers,' Ondo State Branch and fabricated by the Department. The harvester wasconsidered an important contribution to the national efforts at controlling the seaweedswhich have invaded the coastal areas of the country, particularly those of Ondo State. Inorder to fully test and use the seaweed-harvester, we need a barge and we call on theFederal and.Ondo State Governments to fund the purchase of this facility which can bemade available by the Defence Industries Corporation in Kaduna. The Department ofAgricultural Engineering has also succeeded in designing and fabricating a medium-sizedcocoa-processing machine. The Department of Metallurgical arid Materials Engineeringhas continued to pursue, with vigour, its research into the properties of local clays whichare expected to be useful for foundry purposes.

I am glad to report that the linkage arrangement between the Department of MiniugEngineering and Cambourne School of Mines in England has finally taken off and we aregrateful to the British Council in Nigeria through whose instrumentality the OverseasDevelopment Administrationof the British GOvernment decided to fund the linkage pro-gramme.

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PROFESSOR A. A. ILEMOBADE, D.V.M. '(ABU/Jbadan), MS (Oklahoma) Ph.D. (ABU)

Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure J~ •• .r...

El

School of Environmental Technology:

This School, which is into its founn year, is making modest progress and efforts atrecruiting competent academics have yielded encouraging results. However, as notedearlier, there are hardship areas where it has proved difficult to recruit adequate staff. Wetherefore appeal to professional bodies. like those of Quaritity Surveying and EstateManagement to encourage their members to get more involved in academics so that pro-duction of graduates will-be facilitated.School of Sciences:

The School of Sciences has continued to consolidate its gains and extend its servicesin teaching, research and service. It is vigorously pursuing its bid at generating additionalincome through the production of low-cost laboratory and teaching equipment for secon-dary schools. Research activities in the School include the studies of the phenomena affec-ting radio wave propagation in the tropics and the use of locally available materials for theproduction of dyestuffs. The research on dyestuffs has led to the extraction of indigofrom some plant species and their application to cotton and polyester fibres using causticsoda extracted from cocoa pods. The School has also developed some techniques for con-centrating and studying the functional properties of protein fraction from plant andanimal waste sources for the fortification of protein-deficient foods. Other areas ofresearch include the investigation of underground water sources in Ondo State and thestudies of the boundary layer of the atmosphere in the south-western region of Nigeria.

During the year, the Department of Meteorology initiated a collaborative researchprogramme with the Federal Meteorological Department. The project is aimed at easingmeteorogical forecasts for agricultural and aviation purposes.

Postgraduate Programmes:

The University has continued to run postgraduate programmes in line with the ap-proval of the National Universities Commission.As the production of high level man-power for technological development is a core objective of theUniversity, it is hoped thatthe National Universities Commission will soon grant us full status to run a full-fledgedpostgraduate school. Such an approval will not only boost the University's efforts insecuring staff, but will enable us to provide opportunity for at least a few of those whoseek admission to our postgraduate programmes.

The University library:

The University Library is maintaining a steady growth in its acquisition bids. TheLibrary has increased its book stock to more than 28,000 volumes, while the journalsubscription is above 300 core titles. It is hoped that the Universitywill soon be able to in-crease the volume of bonks and periodicals as soon as it begins to draw -from the $120million World Bank loan

Students Enrolment:The total student enrolment during the 1990/91 session was 1,846. As in the past, we

were able to maintain a wide geographical spread in our admission profile, attractingstudents from 15 out of 21 states of the country, and a few foreign countries. Today, weare graduating a total of 231 students. A breakdown, according to class of degrees, is asfollows: -

is

TABLE I: Results of the Degree Examination~990/91

School 1st 2nd Class 2nd Class Third Pass TotalClass Upper Lower Class

SAAT 1 13 43 5 62SEET 3 32 5 40SOS 2 10 87 29 1 129

Total 3 26 162 39 1 231

With the number of graduands of today, the University has graduated a total of799students (including1M. Tech. candidate) since its inception. In line with the motto of ourUniversity, many of the graduates are taking the advantage of the prevailing economy tobe self-employed and beyond this, to be job creators rather than job seekers.During the last service year of the National Youth Service, two of our graduates, follow-ing the performance of 'some of their predecessors, distinguished themselves in theirprimary assignment and brought honour to the University. They are:

(a) Mr F. I. Olonimoyo-who won a national award for "producing livestock feeds

with 96 per cent local content from local waste". He was presented with a cheque

of N20,OOO.00 and a gold plaque and automatic employement.

(b) Mr B. O. Nwanze-who won the Ondo State award.We heartily congratulate these students and pray that their tribe will continue in this

University.It is pertinent that I should mention here that I am proud of the quality of. our

students which has been attested to by many establishments and employers to whom theyhave been attached either during their industrial attachment (SIWES) or during the NYSCservice period. Some employers have even demonstrated preference for our studentsbecause of the outstanding performance of the early sets of students.

Physical Development:I am happy to report that the core of the University activities is shifting to Obanla,

that is, the immediate vicinity of this auditorium. With the limited funds at our disposal,we shall, for the foreseeable future, concentrate our physical development to' this mini-campus which was originally conceived as nuclear campus. This is in 'line with ourmasterplan approved by the National Universities Commission. The larger site, alongAkure-Owo Road, is for the expansion of the University and it is hoped that the propos-ed Centre for Industrial Studies approved in our academic brief and the Farm Complexwill be the first set of structures that will be located on this site.

As reported earlier, the proceeds from last year's endowment fund launching havealready been put to the use for which they were endowed. The. University CommunityCentre which is nearing completion is being funded from our Endowment Fund as well asthe N500,OOO.00 grant from the National Monitoring Committee (NMC) for which we aregrateful. The NMC also gave us an additional grant ofNl.4 million to complete drainagein the new hostels and academic blocks and provide furniture for the academic blocks. Weremain grateful to the NMC for this gesture. When completed, the Community Centre

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will provide facilities for a cafeteria, a super-market, conference hall, students facilitiesand lockableshops.

We have also embarked on the building of power generation house to enable us cen-tralize our power distribution units presently scattered allover the campus, and have inaddition, purchased a 630KVa generator to enable us hook the new buildings to a sourceof electricity supply-when NEPA fails. The first phase of the road networks has been com-pleted while work has just commenced on the building of the new administration block.

.Our requirement for additional workshops and laboratories remains critical and we lookforward to the Federal Government through the NUC for an enhanced capital allocationto enable us complete the new projects embarked upon and to be able.to construct addi-tional facilities that will enable us to fulfill our mandate as a University of Technology.

University Finandal Resources:Our financial situation remains precarious in the face of dwindling resources ..In my

report last year, I indicated our efforts at generating additional Income by floating a com-pany. I am happy to report that the Company, FUTA Ventures, has been incorporatedand the first few months of its operation have shown that the Company has a lot ofpotential to ratse our revenue. No matter how much we try to generate revenue however,the support of Government and Industry remains critical for our growth. That is why welook forward to the Longe Commission's report for the strategy to bail us out of thefinancial quagmire.

I would like, at this juncture, to reiterate my call, during last years convocation, forproper coordination of efforts of the Federal Universities of Technology, Industry,Financial Institutions, Labour organizations, Federal Ministries of Science andTechnology and Industry, and Industrial Training Fund, so that strategies for the genera-tion and application of enabling technologies can be developed. It is, however, hearteningto note the efforts of the Federal Government towards the establishment of Engineeringinfrastructures to assist us in revolutionizing our industries, a development that will surelyassist the FUTs in generating substantial portion of their recurrent expenditure.Benefadion:

I wish to acknowledge the continued support of a Chair of Agricultural Technologyby the Union Bank of Nigeria PIc, in the University to the tune of NlOO,OOO.OOper annum,the endowed prizes of the FUT A Staff Cooperative Multipurpose Society Limited, theNigerian Breweries, the Ondo State Farmers Congress, Livestock Feeds, FUTA Women'sClub, His Grace, Most Rev. Abiodun Adetiloye, Rt. Hon. Dr. Akinola Aguda and thescholarship endowed by Chemical and Allied Products PIc in Mining Engineering. Lastyear, at the launching of the N50million Endowment Fund, Bashorun M. K. O Abiola en-dowed prizes worth NlOO,OOO.OOin the names of several eminent Nigerians, majority ofwhom are indigenes of Ondo State. These prizes and many' others endowed by severalnotable Nigerians at that endowment are being awarded at this convocation. The Univer-sity is deeply grateful for these endowments.

I should also acknowledge and thank many international agencies and organisationswhich have continued to support us. Among these-are the Mlociation of CommonwealthUniversities (ACU), Association of African Universitifl (AAU). the International Centre.lor Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy, International LivCfltock for Africa (lLCA) inAddis Ababa, Ethiopia, International Laboratoryf(n research of Animal Diseases

17

(ILRAD) in Nairobi, Kenya, and lately, the UNESCO which has chosen the University asthe Headquarters of its Man and Biosphere (MAD) project.

fit conclusion, Representative of the Visitor, the Military Governor of Ondo State,Your, Excellencies, Your Highnesses, My Lords, Distinguished Guests, Ladies andGentlemen, I thank you for listening to me and wish you God's travelling mercies as youreturn to your different destinations and His abundant blessings on you the rest of thisyear and throughout the coming year.

18

AN ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMEDFORCES OFnrn FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, GENERAL IBRAHIM

BADAMASI BABANGIDA, CFR. fss, mni, ON THE SIXTH CONVOCATIONCEREMONY OF THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE,

ON 19TH DECEMBER, 1992

Members of the AFRC,

The Executive Governor of Ondo State,

Members of the Federal Executive Council,

Members of the State Executive Council,

Honourable Chancellor, PUT A,

Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

My Lords,

Your Highnesses,

The pro-Chancellor and Members of the Governing Council.

The Vice Chancellor,

Honorary Graduands,

Other Principal Officers of PUT A,

Visiting Academic Leaders,

Members of the Congregation and other Staff,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

_1. It is time once again to join you in celebrating your convocation, the 6th in the lifeof this great University. I note that this year's convocation is with a difference, beingsignificant in that it coincides with the tenth anniversary of your existence. There is goodcause, therefore, to mark the occasion with much pomp and pageantry, and for all well-wishers tocometogether to share in your well-deserved joy and sense of achievement. Tenyears, one might say, is a very short time in the life of an institution, but in your own par-ticular case, you have recorded so many successes within the period that, you canjustifiably mark the passing of a decade as an important milestone in the history of yourinstitution.

The Joy of Hope Fulfilled:2. When slightly over a decade ago, the idea of specialised universities of technology

was mooted, 'it generated a lot of heated controversies, with distinguished and respectedintellectuals lining up on opposite sides of the argument. Interestingly, the most vehementopponents of the-idea came from within the existing tertiary institutions, ,andtheir opposi-tion then was premised on the belief that .the proposed universities would merely duplicatethe activities and responsibilities of the many Faculties of Engineering and Technology inour universities, and also of the Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology. They consideredthe proposal as being capable of constituting an unwarranted waste of scarce resourceswhich could have been deployed to strengthen the existing institutions and facilities mostof which, according to them, were serlouslyunder-4unded and under-utilized.

19

Cynics among the critics even labtlled the idea as a devious gimmick, designed tospread political patronage at the expense' of the health of the higher educational system ofthe country.

3. However, with the benefit of hindsight, one should praise the courage aridforesight of the then policy makers who remained resolute in their determination tooversee the establishment of seven universities Of technology between 1980 and 1983. Theprotagonists of the idea were fully aware that, for Nigeria to be propelled into the jet ageand, for it to graduate into a modern nation, it was imperative that much greater emphasisshould be placed on science and technology as the bedrock of our national developmentalefforts. It was equally obvious that if this objective of rapid technological developmentwere to be attained, specialised universities of technology and agriculture with clearlydefined mandates and objectives needed to be established to serve as the vanguard of thisrevolutionary crusade.

4. Such specialized institutions, because of the limited but intensive scope of theirassignments, would be much better placed than the conventional universities to producethe required technologically-oriented high-level manpower and also engage in activitiesthat would, in no time, transform our society into a technologically conscious and self-reliant one. I am happy to say that the universities of technology, and especially yours,have not disappointed our hopes. Even though it might yet be too early to assess the fullimpact of your existence, there are already very positive and encouraging signs that mostof these schools have started on the right footing and that you are making sure and steadyprogress towards the realization of the lofty dreams of the founding fathers. On thewhole, one caa confidently award you all more than a pass mark.

Commendadon:S. As I have done on many occasions in the past, I must single out your university for

special praise and commendation. Your progress.ion all fronts, has been very impressiveand gives areat cause for joy and optimism. You have set a shining example in areas of notonly academic excellence, but also prudent resource management, maximum capacityutilization, solid physical development, peaceful and harmonious co-existence andremarkable contribution to national development. Your graduates have been widely ac-claimed to be of the highest standard not only in the quality of their education and train-ing but also in character. They have, I am told, continued to shine in' every field of theirendeavour and have thus contributed immensely to promoting and enhancing the goodimage of your university as well as those of other universities of technology in Nigeria.For all these, I congratulate you andwish-you well in the years ahead.

6. May I, however, ask you to remain mindful of the fact lhat your contributionsand achievements so far, like those of your sister universities of technology, should beseen only as an assuring beginning of greater things to come. in other words, you still havea long way to go to appreciably justify the hopes and aspirations of the relevant consti-tuencies and the general Nigerian populace. So far, your claim of full contribution to na-tional development can rightly be made only in the area of manpower production. Youare yet to prove your mettle in the field of research, leading to important discoveries, in-novations and inventions. Needless to say, it is your achievement in these areas that wouldconstitute a significant breakthrough in ous.quest for technological transformation.

20

The Constraints andGovernment's Efforts:7. One must admit, of course, that apart from your relatively young age, financial

problems have, unfortunately but inevitably, constituted a serious limiting factor to yoursuccess. Your university was born at a time when the economic fortunes of the countryhad started its precipitate downturn and you have since then, like other sectors of theNigerian society, had to struggle for existence under rather harsh and difficult conditions.These conditions, you will recall, have been the major cause of frictions between theuniversities and the government in recent times.

8. Some critics have erroneously accused this Administration of insensitivity to theproblems of the universities and, indeed, some were uncharitable enough to insinuate thatit was a hidden government policy to progressively emasculate and ultimately destroy theuniversity system through financial strangulation. Let me assure you, with all due em-phasis, that nothing could be farther from the truth.

9. The rather poor condition of the universities did not start with this Administra-tion. Rather, it has resulted from many years of inadequate funding which, obviously,was more unavoidable than intentional. Since the inception of the present Administra-tion, many far-reaching measures have been taken to ameliorate the situation, of course,within the limits of the resources available to the Government. This is not to deny that theprecarious economic climate and particularly the ever-galloping inflation often renderedavailable financial provisions to universities grossly inadequate. This fact, I can assureyou, was fully appreciated by Government all along and, indeed, was a constant cause ofconcern and worry to us, as much as it was to you. But while, by and large, the universitiesmight not have received as much as they deserve, yet they have received more attentionduring this administration than any before it.

10. It is a matter of joy that the recent impasse between the government and universi-ty workers has been resolved amicably and, I hope, to the satisfaction of both parties. I

.expect the universities, therefore not only to now heave a sigh of relief, but more impor-tantly to sit up and review their roles and activities so that they can effectively take on themore challenging task of leading the way in transforming our nation technologically andeconomically within a short time. In order to encourage the universities and reducedrastically, if not totally, the hitherto much-publicized constraints in their way, Govern-ment has pledged to invest the sum ofHll. 74 billion as recurrent expenditure andH4.86billion as capital expenditure, all totallingH16.6O billion, on universities between now and1995.

It is hoped that this huge outlay, alongside several other resource commitments madefrom time to time, would suffice to keep the universities afloat and enable them to taketheir rightful place in the scheme of things.

A Challenge:11. The modern university, as the intellectual cream of the society, has a unique duty

and challenge to tackle. Our country is still going through amostdifficult experience onthe economic, political and sociological fronts and it is for the universities to come to thenation's rescue by proffering viable solutions to our seemingly intractable problems.

12. I sincerely hope that you will all brace up to your responsibilities and live up tothe expectations of the society that, even in these hard times, provides for yoursustenance. The nation looks forward to profit more concretely from the huge in-

21

vestments on our universities by way of their invaluable and immeasurable contributionsto our goal of rapid technological and economic advancement.

As the popular saying goes, "to whom much is given, much is certainly expected". Itshould be the resolve of you all-staff and students alike-to stem the increasing anddestructive trend of incessant campus unrests and the ensuing university closures. w'emust henceforth adopt a policy of peaceful dialogue on ali matters, whether internal orexternal .. It is only when peace and understanding reign supreme on our university cam-puses that the nation can reap maximum benefits from our higher institutions.

Greetings andCongratulations:13. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I share in the joy of this occasion and con-

gratulate the celebrants oftoday First and foremost, my congratulations go to the Coun-cil anti Senate, and the entire University community, for witnessing this historic occasionand for their contributions towards the success of the series of celebrations culminating intoday's events. You have all worked hard to ensure the survival and growth of this univer-sity. Please accept my hearty congratulations.

14. We must also remember our predecessors, both students, staff and councilmembers, who bore the brunt of the pioneering efforts that have seen this universitythrough thick and thin. To those of them who have been translated to the greatbeyond-Alhaji (Dr) Zulkarnaini Gambari Mohammed, the late Emir of Ilorin and thefirst Chancellor; Chief Gabriel Akin-Deko, the first Pro-Chancellor and Chairman ofCouncil and Professor Theodore ldibiye Francis, the founding Vice-Chancellor-, we:owe- .everlasting gratitude and wish them eternal peaceful rest in the bosom of Allah. To thosewho are, fortunately, still alive, we say a big 'Thank you'and implore you all to continueto give of your best to the university in whatever way you find' possible and necessary.

15. The University will continue to rely on the goodwill, assistance, guidance and co-operation of everyone concerned at all times. In this regard, I would like to specially con-gratulate the incumbent Vice-Chancellor for the success of this occasion and for his well-deserved re-appointment. I also wish to use this medium to congratulate the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Chief Gray Longe,CFR. who led the Commissionon Higher Education and produced an excellent report which has formed a basis for. theFederal Government's far-reaching policy decision on tertiary education in Nigeriabeyond the year 2000.

16. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the star-studded cast that make up thehonorary graduands of today says a lot about the pedestal on which this school Has founditself after only a decade of its existence.

When I see the-array of World-acclaimed statesmen and intellectual giants who haveaccepted to associate their reverred names withyour institution as honorary graduands, Ifeel very proud on your behalf for having earned the respect and honour of such eminentnational and international personalities.

17. Distinguishe.d Ladies and Gentlemen, permit me at this point to heartily con-gratulate General Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Michael Ajasin, Professor Sam Aluko, Pro-fessor Oladipo Akinkugbe and Professor G. O. P. Obasi for the great honour of today. Itwould be an understatement to say that each of you richly deserve the recognition andhonour being bestowed on you today. You are all men of distinction in every respect andit is my hope that your being counted among the graduates of this university will serve as

22

an incentive for the graduates of the university, both past, present and future, to emulateyou and strive to attain the loftiest heights in all their fields of endeavour.

I am confident that you will continually put at the disposal of the university yourwealth of experience, invaluable advice and all other forms of assistance that will promoteits well-being and accelerate its march towards academic excellence.

Charge to Graduands:18. Lastly, I extend my warmest felicitations to the main celebrants of today-the

recipients of postgraduate and first degrees. I rejoice with them for having fought thegood fight. They have successfully weathered the turbulent storms of university life allthese years and have now safely swum ashore. Without doubt, the road has been roughand the struggle has been daunting, but through sheer determination and patience, youhave overcome all obstacles to arrive at this sweet moment of victory. My dear graduands,let me quickly warn you that Out there in the real world, greater challenges await youwhich will certainly task your doggedness and toughness.

I am convinced that with the type of specialized education and thorough trainingwhich you have received here, you will be more than up to the task of surmounting theobstacles on your way to a life of fulfilment and great achievements both for yourselvesand for the society at large.

19. Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you forYOUI kind attention. Godbless you all, God bless Nigeria.

23

ADDRESS BY THE PRO-CHANCELLOR OF THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITYOF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE, CHIEF G. A. E. LONGE,eFR. ON THE FIRST DAY

OF THE 6TH CONVOCATION OF THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OFTECHNOLOGY, AKURE, HELD ON 18TH DECEMBER, 1992

The Visitor

General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida President, Commander-in-Chief of the ArmedForces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,

Members of the Armed Forces Ruling Council,

The Executive Governor of Ondo State.

Your Excellencies,

Honourable Minister of Education and Youth Development,

Honourable Ministers and Commissioners,

Honourable Visiting Chancellors and Pro-Chancellors,

The Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure,

The Visiting Vice-Chancellors,

Your Royal Highnesses,

My Lords, Spiritual and Temporal,

Members of Council and Senate,

Graduands,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of Council, Senate and the entire members of the Federal University ofTechnology, Akure, I welcome you all to this first day of our 6th Convocation, I have hadthe great honour and privilege for 6 years running, beginning from the first convocationin 1987 to now, to welcome parents, guardians and friends of the University, Wecelebrated the 10th anniversary of the Univer-sity this year. Today, we rejoice with ourdeserving graduands as they celebrate success in their academic endeavour.

First, I would like to recall our humble beginning in 1982 when we opened our doorsto commence academic programmes. At that time, we enrolled a mere 149 students intothe then existing foundation Schools of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Earthand Mineral Sciences and Pure and Applied Sciences. We had very few academic staff onthe ground. We looked forward to a steady growth even though the turbulence of aneconomy on a downward turn was on the horizon.

The total number of students has grown from the initial 149 to 2,089 today andSchools from three to four.

Second, let us commend those whose vision led to the establishment. of the Univer-sities of Technology and, especially, our staff and students who were involved in thispioneering experiment: Alhaji Shehu Shagari, our first executive President whose ad-ministration established the University in 1982, the foundation Chancellor, Alhaji Zulkar-naini Gambari Mohammed, the late Emir of Ilorin, the foundation Pro-Chancellor, lateChief Akin Deko and the foundation Vice-Chancellor, late Professor Theodore Idibiye

24

Francis, FAS,my predecessors in office, the pioneer students and staff. This Universitystands today as a fitting tribute to their courage and dedication.

The mission of Universities of Technology is clear and can be summarized asthe pro-duction of manpower and appropriate technology to launch the country on the path oftechnological self-sufficiency. We have spent the first ten years primarily in the produc-tion of manpower which is one leg of the mandate. We continue to receive good reports ofthe performances of our graduates in the world of work. Many of them, in the tradition ofour motto "Technology for Self-Reliance" have established their own enterprises whichare flourishing and provide employment to many Nigerians. The other aspect of our man-date is the production of appropriate technology, an area in which we have made someprogress but where much remains to be done. The major constraint is that Universities ofTechnology, by their nature, are both capital and equipment intensive, thus requiring amassive injection of funds.

The federal Government has accepted the recommendation of the Commission onthe Review of Higher Education in Nigeria to establish for universities of Technology,work centres or Centres for industrial studies "with the specific objective of design, con-struction of prototype machines identified to be needed for our industries". The provisionof adequate funds for the implementation of this recommendation should lead to the earlyachievement of the objectives of establishing Universities of Technology.

On behalf of the Council and Senate of the University, I congratulate our graduatingstudents. You have been sufficiently trained and exposed in your respective areas ofdiscipline to make you worthy of your peers anywhere in the world. Please be good am-bassadors of this great University. I wish you success and prosperity in your futureendeavours.

In conclusion, I wish to express my appreciation to all staff of the University formaking this year's Convocation a success.

CHIEF G. A. E. LONGE;CFRPRO-CHANCELLOR

18th December, 1992

2S

AN ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE VICE-CHANCELLOR, FEDERALUNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE, PROFESSOR A. A. ILEMOBADE

ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE 6TH CONVOCATION CEREMONY OF THEUNIVERSITY ON FRIDAY, 18TH I;:>ECEMBER, 1992

Representative of our President,

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and Visitor to the University,General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida

His Excellency, the Governor of Ondo State,Mr Bamidele Isola Olumilua

Hon. Federal Minister of Education and Youth Development

Hon. Commissioner of Education, Ondo State

Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the Federal University of Technology, Akure

Your Excellencies

Your Lordships

Hon. Visiting Chancellors and Pro-Chancellors

Visiting Vice-Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts

Our Reverred Traditional Rulers

Members of Council and Senate

Staff and Students

Friends of the University

Parents and Guardians

Distinguished Guests

Ladies ami Gentlemen,

I am privileged and honoured once again to join my Pro-Chancellor and Chairmanof Council in extending a most warm welcome to our distinguished guests, parents, guar-dians and friends of the University on this occasion which marks our 6th Convocation.This Convocation is·special to us because it is the climax of the celebrations which werestarted in April to mark the tenth anniversary of our University. We recall with fondnessthat in September 1981, the then President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, announced theestablishment of the Federal University of Technology in Ondo State. Then followed aspate of agitations by different communities for the location of the University on their soiland the subsequent decision of the Federal Government to site the University at the Statecapital, Akure. The foundation Vice-Chancellor, the late Professor Theodore IdibiyeFrancis, who was appointed on November 19, 1981 assumed duties January 1, 1982. The13-man Governing Council which had been appointed earlier and headed by the late HighChief Gabriel Akin Deko of blessed memory, was inaugurated on January 27, 1982, andcommenced activities thereafter. On April 29, 1982 the then president, Alhaji ShehuShagari, turned the sod at the maxi site of the University on the Akure-Owo Road and byNovember of that year, the University was suificiently strong to admit its first batch ofstudents. Thus, on November 22, 1982, the gates ofthe University were thrown open toreceive the pioneer students numbering 149. Out of this crop of students, majority of

26

whom graduated in the1986/87 session, six are presently on the academic staff of 'thisUniversity, one of whom recently obtained her Ph. D. in Applied Geophysics, the first todo so of the University alumni. The other five who are studying for the Ph. D. degree arebeing conferred with Masters degree tomorrow. We have, in our decade of existence,grown from a student population of 149 to 2,089 in the 1991/92 session, and we should beabout 3,000 in the 1992/93 session; our staff strength has increased froma handful to 742persons, we have also progressed in' our physical stature, from a tenant of the FederalPolytechnic, then in Akure, to a landlord both of this site and the maxi-site onAkure-Owo Road. As we look back, therefore, and ponder over our first decade, wecan, like the Biblical Samuel, raise our Ebenezer and proclaim that "Thus far the Lordhas helped us".

I pay tribute to our pioneer Chancellor, the late Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji ZulkarnainiGambari Mohammed,CFR who passed away in February this year, our pioneer Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, the late High Chief Akin Deko and his successors,Alhaji Y. A. B. Olatunji andMr. S. M. Onekutu, our pioneer Vice-Chancellor, the lateProfessor Theodore Idibiye Francis,FAS, pioneer members of Council and pioneer staff(academic and non-academic) and pioneer students. They have all made signiftcant con-tribution to our humble beginning and subsequent developments, and we thank them.

As noted above, our pioneer Chancellor, Alhaji (Dr) Zulkarnaini Gambari Moham-med, the Emir of Ilorin passed away in the Republic of Germany on 23rd February, 1992and was buried in Ilorin subsequently. The University was fully represented at his funeral.Our late Chancellor was great in life as he was in death. He was beloved by staff andstudents and will be sadly missed. May his gentle soul rest in peace. While we were still-I-

mourning the death of our Chancellor came the news of the death of the University firstVice-Chancellor (1982-1988), Professor Theodore Idibiye Francis,FAS in far away Lon-don on March 16, 1992. It was good fortune for all of us, and Professor Francis that hehad many productive years. Those who did not know him will remember him for hisachievements in teaching, research and administration. Those of us who knew him will, inaddition, remember him for a great deal more. We will remember him for his patience, hishumility and modesty, for his interest in others and his readiness to help, for his keen en-joyment of life. He will be sadly missed. May his soul rest in peace.

Only last month, the wife of our benefactor, Alhaja Simbiat Atinuke Abiola passedaway. We mourn with her husband, Bashorun Moshood Abiola, the death of this il-lustrious wife and mother and pray that her soul may rest in perfect peace.

Today, first degrees and prizes will be awarded, tomorrow Masters degrees will beconferred on 8, and Ph.D. on.2 students, while five eminent Nigerians and scholars will beadmitted to the honorary degrees of the University. We are pleased to be able to make ourmodest contributions in man-power development and the recognition of excellence.

This ceremony marks the graduation of 248 students from three of our four Schools,namely:

- School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology with 64 students;- School of Engineering and Engineering Technology withS8 students;~ School of Sciences with 126 students.

The breakdown into classes of degree is as fQ11ows:

Table I:Results of the Degree Examination 1991/92

School 1st 2nd Class 2nd Class Third Pass TotalClass Upper Lower Class

SAAT 5 55 4 64SEET 1 4 42 7 4 58SOS 2 13 74 32 5 126

Total 3 II 171 93 9 148

At the end of this convocation we would have graduated a total of1,048 persons withfirst degrees and 9 with Masters and two with Doctoral degrees since our inception.

This past session, the University system experienced a lot of disruptions broughtabout by the parlous state of our economy, deterioration in the earnings of Universitystaff and decay in the infrastructures of the entire University system. These distruptionswere characterised by violent demonstrations by students resulting in closure of Univer-sities, and strike action by academic and non-academic staff of Universities. The FederalUniversity of Technology, Akure was of course, not spared this unhappy developmentwhich, therefore, led to the extension of the second semester from August to October andthe shifting of our Convocation dates from the traditional first week of November to to-day. Our ability, to maintain peace on campus was stretched to the limit by a cycle of in-dustrial actions by staff, students agitation and .demonstration on issues connected withour national problems. Some respite was achieved by the agreement between the FederalGovernment and the academic staff of Nigerian Universities on the improvement in theconditions of service of staff of Universities, radical improvement in funding of Univer-sities, autonomyand academic freedom. The implementation of this accord, however,both in the academic and non-academic sectors of the University, continues to be doggedby problems of major dimension. Unless these problems are resolved, and speedly too, thenew session, of1992193, may not be spared the experience of last session.

I should like to briefly review notable developments in the University in the past ses-sion 1991/92 .

. Academic Development:As mentioned in previous addresses; Universities of Technology all over the world

are, by design, capital intensive in terms of equipment because they have a major role toplay in national development. As has been pointed out by this year's convocation lecturer,Dr. Abel Guobadia, Nigerian Universities of Technology are bedevilled by severe shortageof equipment due to the harsh economic conditions which started in the early 1980s andwhich have been aggravated by the continuing fail of the Naira in the Foregin ExchangeMarket, thus reducing markedly the value of whatever funds are provided for equipment.To compound matters, Universities of Technology have not been given significantpreferential treatment in the allocation of funds by the NUCfor equipment. Of the recentUniversity sector World Bank Loan, however, the Universities of Technology have beenallocated what could be regarded as a fair proportion of the loan for overseas purchase ofteaching and research equipment and they could start drawing from the loan once theymet the conditionalities. I ani happy to report that we are among thefirst batch of Univer-

28

sities to meet the conditionalities and we are hopeful that the equipment ordered will startarriving before long.

Up till now, we have been allowed to run postgraduate courses primarily to assist usin our Staff Development programme, but not to establish a Post Graduate School. I amhappy to report that the National Universities Commission has, based on our perfor-mance to successfully run Postgraduate courses, approved the establishment of a full-fledged School of Postgraduate Studies in this University with effect from this session.Also our request to mount a degree programme in Food Sciences and Technology in theSchool of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology was approved by the Commission ef-fective 1992/93 session. We are grateful to the National Universities Commission for con-sidering favourably our requests.

It will be recalled that the School of Environmental Technology offering programmesin Architecture, Estate Management, Building, Quantity Surveying and Industrial Designcame on stream in the1988/89 session. Three of the programmes, namely Architecture,Estate Management and Quantity Surveying are well on course and will be presenting can-didates for the first time, for the award of degrees next year. Similarly, the three program-mes in the School of Engineering and Engineering Technology started in the1988/89 ses-sion which are yet to produce graduates, viz, Civil Engineering, Electrical and ElectronicEngineering and Mechanical Engineering, are also on course, and win be presenting theirfirst set of graduates next session.

Physical Development:

You will recall that at our convocation in1990, the N50million Endowment Fund waslaunched with the aim of raising funds for vital projects in the University. Three of theprojcts, namely a network of roads, a Community Centre and a Power Station have sincebeen embarked upon and completed. One of the projects, the Community Centre com-pleted at a cost ofN3.8 million was commissioned in April by the.Honourable Minister ofEducation and Youth Development Professor Aliu Babatunde Fafunwa. As a mark ofrecognition of the contributions of our late Chancellor, Alhaji Zulkarnaini GambariMohammed, the Emir of Ilorin, the University has named the Community Centre Zulkar-naini Centre, after this illustrous son of Nigeria and Africa. The cost of completing theseprojects amounting to aboutN14million was financed, in the main, through the Endow-ment Funds(700/0) with the rest coming from our normal Capital Grants. We remaingrateful to our benefactors who made this possible.

The 1991/92 session also witnessed the allocation, by the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Visitor to the University, General Ibrahim Babangida, toeach Federal University, a sum ofN25 million as special grant for capital and recurrentpurposes. We are deeply grateful to Mr. President and the Federal Government which heheads for this generous allocation. This grant could not have come at a better time thannow when the construction of the administration building which was commenced earlylast year in anticipation of immediate release of the pledge made by Mr. President in1990but which was delayed, got stalled. The building is progressing satisfactorily, and barringany unforseen circumstances, should be ready for commission within the next 6.months.

29

Part of theN25million grant has gone into the construction of10units junior staffquarterswhich were completed only lastweek. We have also commenced the constructionof the first phase of science laboratory blocks end second phase of Zulkarnairii Centre.Overall, we are making steady progress in our march to fulfilling our objectives in the areaof capital development.

Staff and Students' Welfare:

In the area of staff welfare, we continue to make steady progress and if funds aremade available to fully implement the recently approved welfare packages, disenchant-ment and loss of self-esteem by University staff will be minimised to the point that theywill no longer be critical issues. Until now, the University operates a housing loan schemewhich is Limited due to the size of the money available. Recently, however, the FederalGovernment released a sum of N2.75 million to us to fund a revolving housing loanscheme. This, we are told, is the first phase. It is hoped therefore that the additional fundpromised by the Federal Government would soon be released so that many more staffwould be able to enjoy owning a house to retire into after an active working life. It isvitally important that those who are expected to train students who will tomorrow pro-vide leadership in politics and different sectors of our economy be themselves providedadequate insurance against their retirement, and a house is an important one.

In 1990 when Mr. President commissioned the first phase of our students hostels, itwas generally believed that a number of accomodation problems would be solved. This iscorrect. At that time, we had about 1,500 students. But now we expect to have a total of3,000 students in the 1992/93 session and accommodation will become a sore point again,unless we are able to provide additional bed spaces or private enterpreneurs and localGovernments heed our appeal to build commercial hosteles for students. We are in totalagreement with the view expressed in the report of Longe Commission on Higher Educa-tion in the nineties that:

... there are usually strong contrasting views as to whether or not institutionshould provide accommodation and if in the affirmative what proportion ofstudents in any given institution should be housed. The Commission deems ithighly desirable for any institution to develop in-campus accommodation forat least a proportion of its students. The proportion to be accommodatedshould generally be left to the discretion of the institution in relation to livingfacilities in town. In any event, each institution should aim at accommodatingat least a third of its total enrolment at any given time ....

We have it as a policy that all new entrants into the University and to some extent"final year students, should automatically be qualified for hostel accommodation. While'whatever spaces are left are given out based on approved criteria like handicap students,foreign students, sportsmen and women and Union leaders. We believe this is a desirablepolicy, but we have now reached a point where it is becoming difficult to implement it,unless we have additional bed spaces. While we are therefore working on private enter-preneurs and local Government to invest on students accommodation, to ease the,burdenof the University in this area, we must plead for more money from the Federal Govern-ment to implement the second phase of our hostel project. We also appeal to the AkureLocal Government who, during our Endowment-Fund launching in 1990 promised to putup a block of hostel which our students could rent.

30

Internal RevenueGeneration:

In my address at the Convocation of 1989, I indicated our efforts at generating addi-tional funds in order to meet some of our commitments on recurrent expenditure. One ofthe efforts was to reorganise our Consultancy Unit which has since been incorporated intoa full-fledged company, the FUTA Ventures Ltd. Last session, the Ventures made signifi-cant progress. Among many projects carried out.vl would like to mention a few: TheCompany was awarded the consultancy for the Architectural, Structural, Mechanical andElectrical works of two new hostel blocks at a sister University, the University of Benin.The buildings were completed in record time and were commissioned only this week.Another sister University, the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University also awarded the Ar-chitectural, Mechanical and Electrical consultancy of its Students Centre to the venturesand the building is presently nearing completion. The company was also awarded the con-tract for drawing up the Master Plan of the National Mathematical Centre in Abuja, afeat that was achieved in 3 months. The Federal University of Technology, Akure hasreceived commendation for its excellent performances in all these assignments and we aregrateful for the opportunity given to FUTA Ventures to demonstrate its capabilities in dif-ferent areas of its operation. Please try our FUTA Ventures, a trial, they' say, will con-vince you. The import of the toregoing is not to sing our own praise, but to.let you knowthat with such performance we can expect a handsome dividend from the company at theend of its operating year to assist us in our financial needs. 1must also add, that the ex-istence of FUTA Ventures has enabled many academic staff to put their expertise intopractice in a manner consistent with our objectives.

The Graduating Students:

1 should, at this juncture, pause to congratulate very heartily my dear students whoare graduating today. You have all worked hard these past five years or so to merit thedegrees being conferred on you, being worthy in character and in learning. Yourpredecessors have not disappointed our hopes that they will serve as good ambassadors ofFUTA to the nooks and crannies of this great country: industries have shown preferencefor them in their needs of manpower, and those on their own are doing well and prosper-ing. Many of them who went in for postgraduate studies both in Nigeria and abroad wereadmitted without any difficulty. Among the eight postgraduate students to be coaferredwith Masters degree tomorrow, seven obtained their first degrees from FUTA. The dif-ference between you and those from conventional Universities must necessarily be clear,otherwise our mission will stand to be questioned. 1 said some years ago that you havealways referred to those of your teachers affectionately as the "oppressors" and you the"oppressed". 1 am happy, you have now joined the group of oppressors. As you go intothe world of work, 1 want to wish you God's mercies and abundant blessings. Pleasealways remember that whatever you say or do will reflect either favourably or un-favourably on your alma mater, FUTA. 1 trust you will keep our flag flying high asalways.

Acknowledgement:

It is now left for me to acknowledge publicly that whatever we may have achieved inFUTA is due mainly to the fact that we regard ourselves as one family. 1 am thankful tothe Principal Officers, Deans Heads of Departments and Units, all Staff and Studentswho have made it possible for the success we are celebrating today. It has been my fortune

31

to work with an excellent Council whose Chairman, Chief Gray Longe,cFR is a source ofconsistently wise counsel, mature judgement and inspiration. The President,Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Visitor to our University, GeneralIbrahim Badamasi Babangida.crn, fss, mni, graciously and speedily approved the recom-mendation of Senate and Council for my re-appointment for a second term of four yearsfrom November 14, 1992. I am grateful to President Babangida for the confidence he hasshown in my leadership and would want to use this opportunity to assure him of myunalloyed service to the cause for which he has re-appointed me.

The Union Bank of Nigeria continues to support the Chair of AgriculturalTechnology in the School of Agriculture-and Agricultural Technology. We are grateful tothe Bank, as we are to individuals who have endowed prizes in different disciplines of lear-ning in the University, the latest being Mr. Joseph Sanusi, the Managing Director of FirstBank of Nigeria Pic who endowed a prize in Physics in perpetuity; and the family of thelate Pa Adamolekun of blessed memory who endowed a prize in Crop Production, also inperpetuity. We thank them all. We thank the British Government thtough the BritishCouncil for continued support of the linkage programme between the University andCamborne School of Mines in the area of Mining Engineering and the donation ofacademic books to our Library. The International Foundation for Science continues tosupport research projects in this University and the Institute for Theoretical Physics inTrieste, Italy has continued to support our staff development efforts.

Finally, Representatives of the Visitor, the Executive Governor of Ondo State, YourExcellencies, Your Highnesses, My Lords, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Iwish to thank all of you who have come from far a.nd near to join us in this celebration. Iwish you all God's travelling mercies as you return to your different destinations and Hisabundant blessings at this Christmas season and throughout the coming year. God blessFUT A, God bless Nigeria.

..

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MR B. A. ADEBAYO B.A. (Lagos) MPA (ICe).

Registrar, The Federal University of Technology, Akure.

ADDRESS BY THE PRO-CHANCELLOR AND CHAIRMAN OF THEGOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF

TECHNOLOGY, AKURE, CHIEF G. A. E. LONGEcFR. ON THEOCCASION OF THE 6TH CONVOCATION CEREMONY OF THEFEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE,HELD ON

19TH DECEMBER, 1992.

The Visitor, General Ibrahim Badamasi BabangidaPresident, Commander-in-Chief of theArmed Forces of the Federal Republicof Nigeria;

Members of the Armed Forces Ruling; CoWlCU;

The Executive Governor of Ondo State;

Your Excellencies;

Honourable Minister of Education;

Honourable Ministers and Commissioners;

Honourable Visiting Chancellors and Pro-Chancellors; .

The Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of

Technology, Akure;

The Visiting Vice-Chancellors;

Your Royal Highnesses;

My Lords, Spiritual and Temporal;

Members of Council and Senate;

Graduands;

Distinguished Guests;

Ladies and Gentlemen.

Today marks the 6th Convocation Ceremony of the Federal University ofTechnology, Akure. It also marks the peak of the celebration of the 10th anniversary ofthe University. It is therefore with great pleasure that I welcome you to the occasion, andthank you all on behalf of the Council, Senate, the entire staff and students of the Univer-sity for your presence.

At the time of ourSthConvocation last year, the Visitor was ably represented by thethen Military Governor of Ondo State, Navy Captain Abiodun Olukoya. Today, we areprivileged to have Ambassador Bamidele Isola Olumilua, the Executive Governor of On-do State with us. This is the first time that he will be visiting us in his capacity as the Ex-ecutive Governor of Ondo State. We believe that before long he would pay us a formalvisit.

On behalf of Council, staff and students of the Federal University of Technology,Akure, I wish to congratulate your Excellency on your election as the civillian governor ofOndo State. We wish you a successful tenure of office. We have had very cordial rela-tionship with your Excellency's predecessors in office and we have reason to believe thatwe will receive even greater support and encouragement from your administration, An

35

evidence of this is your promptaction, on assuming office, in addressing the issues of ourCertificate of Occupancy both on this campus and the larger one.

I acknowledge with gratitude the presence ofall Federal and State functionaries, ourreverred traditional rulers, my lords spiritual and temporal and other distinguished guests.Please accept our hearty welcome to the 6th Convocation ceremony of the Federal Univer-sity of Technology, Akure.

At our 4th convocation in 1990, I publicly acknowledged the presence of ourChancellor, Alhaji (Dr.) Zulkarnaini Gambari Mohammed,Aiyelabowo II,CFR, Emir ofIlorin. I did not then know that he was doing so for the last time. Our reverred and sagelyChancellor passed away to the great beyond on 23rd February,J992. We mourn his deathand pray that God will grant his relations the fortitude to bear the Ioss, As a wayof'im-mortalising his name, the University decided to name the University Community Centreafter him as Zulkarnaini Centre. At its commissioning by the Honourable Minister ofEducation, Professor Aliu Babatunde Fafunwa, in April 1992, the Chancellor's relationswere formally represented. I now wish to request that this august assembly rise for aminute silence in honour of this illustrious son of Nigeria May his gentle soul rest inpeace.

The first half of the year 1992was not a very happy one for us in the University. Onthe 16th of March, 1992, death came knocking again. This time, the first Vice-Chancellorof the University, Professor T. I. Francis died in far away London, after a brief illness.Once more, I crave your indulgence to request that we all rise in silence for a minute inhonour of the departed soul.. ..... May his gentle soul rest in peace.

State of The University:By November, 1992, Professor A. A. Ilemobade completed his first term as Vice-

Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure. I am happy to announce thatMr. President has promptly approved the recommendation of the Council to renew hisappointment as Vice-Chancellor for a second termof four years with effect fromNovember 1992. The speed with which the Visitor responded to Our recommendation is ameasure of his confidence in our Council and in the person of Professor Ilemobade. Iwish therefore to congratulate Professor Ilemobade very heartily for an appointment sowell deserved and wish him a successful second tenure.

A special feature of this year's convocation ceremony is the marking of the tenth an-niversary of the University. There will also be the conferment of Honorary Degrees onfive eminent and distinguished personalities in Nigeria. They are:

General Olusegun ObasanjoChief Michael Adekunle AjasinProfessor Oladipo O. AkinkugbeProfessor Godwin O. P. ObasiProfessor Samuel A. Aluko.

I congratulate them very heartily for deserving an accolade from this Universitywhich has achieved the distinction of a most careful choice of persons to be awardedhonorary degrees.

The 1991/92 Session was a most difficult time both for students and staff of Nigerianuniversities. The hardship caused by the economic situation in the Country was worsenedby the effects of violent demonstrations by students r~ulting in the destruction of proper-ty and a prolonged industrial action by academic and non-academic staff. Some of the

·36

student demonstrations could have been avoided if there had been a greater degree of har-mony between the student body and management.

For instance, an interruption in electricity or water supply should not necessarilyresult in such anger as to justify vandalization of property. The ideal is, of course, thatthere should be twenty-four hour supply of electricity and water. But this ideal is difficultto achieve. Our University will continue to do its"_best to cater for the welfare andacademic needs of the students. Where students are dissatisfied with what the Universityhas been able to do, they should bring the reason for their dissatisfaction to the notice of

'management. I assure you that every effort will be made to rectify the situation promptly.Where perceived lapses continue, be patient. Bear with us.

At the time of our last convocation, the Commission on the Review of Higher Educa-tion in Nigeria, of which I had the privilege to be the Chairman, had just presented itsreport to Government. A White Paper has since been issued and a Committee has been setlIP to implement the White Paper. Its Chairman is my distinguished colleague on theCommission and one of the honorary graduands of today, Professor O. O. Akinkugbe.The recommendations of the report as approved in the white Paper and the subsequentagreement painfully negotiated inch by inch between the Federal Government and ASUUhave effected considerable improvements in the salaries and fringe benefits, autonomyand academic freedom of the universities.

A bold attempt has been made to highlight the role of the universities in nationaldevelopment. The developmental problems of our country are enormous and require theactive contribution by all Nigerians to the search for viable solutions. Academics mustendeavour to be in the forefront with constructive criticism and suggestions of policy op-tions derived from mature thinking. I have no doubt that Governmentwill, on its part,continue to be receptive to good ideas.

Your excellencies, distingushed ladies and gentlemen, one again, I welcome you alland wish you God's travelling mercies as you return to your various destinations.

37

AN ADDRESS DELIVEREDBY THE

VICE-CHANCELLOR. FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE,PROFESSOR A. A. ILEMOBADE

ON THE SECOND DAY OF THE UNIVERSltY~S SIXTHCONVOCATION HELD ON SATURDAY, 19TH DECEMBER, 1992.

Representative of our President,Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and Visitor to the University,General Ibrahim B. Babangida.

His Excellency ,the Governor of Ondo State,Mr Bamidele Isola Olumilua,

Hon. Federal Minister of Education and Youth Development,

Hon. Commissioner of Education, Ondo State,

Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the Federal University of Technology, Akure

Your Excellencies,

Your.Lordships,

Hon. Visiting Chancellors and Pro-Chancellors,

Visiting Vice-Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts,

Our Reverred Traditional Rulers,

Members of Council and Senate,

Staff and Students,

Friends of the University,

Parents and Guardians,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am privileged once again to join my Pro-Chancellor in extending our traditionalwarm welcome to our distinguished guests to the second day of our 6th Convocation.Yesterday, the first degrees and prizes were awarded and today we should be conferringthe postgraduate and honorary degrees.

I wish to recognise the presence of the representative of our Visitor, President,Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. of Nigeria, General Ibrahim BadamasiBabangida, CFR, fss, mni. We appreciate his special interest in this Vniversity and hiscommendation of-our humble efforts. I wish to publicly express my deep gratitude to thePresident for giving me the opportunity of a second term of office as the Vice-Chancellorof this great University. It is a measure of the confidence he has in my ability to performand I promise not to disappoint his hopes. We request that you convey our best wishesand the assurance of our support and highest regards to Mr President.

Next, I wish to pay homage to His Excellency, the Governor of Ondo State,Mr Bamidele Isola Olumilua. He, Immediately after he was sworn in as Governor, took adeep interest in the development of this University and one of the rust issues we took upwith him was that of the Certificates of Occupancy on the mini-campus8Ild..tb~larger site

38

on theAkure-Owo road which have been hanging.for the past five years. He promptlytook this up and has now approved the issuance of Certificate of Occupancy for the mini-campus. We are pursuing very vigorously.the issue of compensation to the owners of theland on the Akure-Owo road and we hope the Certificate of Occupancy on this land toowill soon be approved so as to assist our efforts in getting the Federal Government tosettle the compensation.'We"thank your excellency for your abiding interest inFUTA

I recognise the presence ofRepresentative of the Governor of OyoState, HisExcellency Chief Kolapo. Ishola, representatives of their Excellencies in other States and

. thank them. I recognise the presence of the Honourable Minister of Education and YouthDevelopment, Professor Aliu Babatunde Fafunwa. Only in April, the HonourableMinister was with us to formally commission the Zulkarnaini Centre. We deeply ap-preciate his support and that of his officials. I also recognise the presence of theHonourable Commissioner of Education, Dr Israel Adelola who is a friend of the Univer-sity and other Commissioners here present. I pay homage to our traditional rulers, and inparticular, I wish to extend' a special welcome to Kabiyesi, Oba Atayese AdebobajoAdesida IV, the Deji of Akureland who is attending this convocation for the first time inhis new capacity as the Deji. Only last week, Kabiyesi paid us a special visit as one of theactivities marking his first year on the throne and endowed a prize in perpetuity in theDepartment of Mechanical Engineering - his area of special interest ..We congratulateKabiyesi for his first anniversary on the throne. Ki ade ko pe lori, ki bata pe lese; igba yina sanwa0 (Amin).

Our honorary graduands of today deserve special mention. It is not my intention topre-empt the University orator, but it is probably pertinent to state that General OlusegunObasanjo, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, Professor Oladipo Akinkugbe, ProfessorSamuel Aluko and Professor Godwin Obasi, through their distinguished public life andscholarship have demonstrated the virtues we would like our students to emulate. Theyhave done this country proud and we are glad they agreed to identify with us as honoraryalumni. We can say, without any risk of contradiction, that blessed are the ears whichhear them and blessed are the eyes which see them. The University salutes them.

Last but by no' means the least, I' recognise and welcome all Chancellors, Pro-Chancellors and our brother Vice-Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts whose presence hereis a source of support and encouragement to us.

Representative of the Visitor, this Convocation is very special to us in at least tworespects. First, it is the climax of the 10th anniversary celebrations of our founding. Whenon November 22, 1982, the University opened its gates to receive the first batch of 147students, it was doing so with a lot of courage and faith, the indication for survival werenot particularly good because the economy had started showing distress signs and thefunds promised were not forthcoming; the University was to take over the campus of theFederal Polytechnic, then in Akure, as emergency campus, but the Federal Polytechniccould not move because it had no campus in its new site at Ado-Ekiti to move into, and sothe University became, so to speak, a "squater" on its own land with few buildings initial-ly released to it by the Federal Polytechnic to serve as laboratories, classrooms, office,library and drawing rooms. This co-habitation of the Polytechnic and the University was'a sourceof great concern in view of the likelihood of confrontation between students ofthe Polytechnic and those of the University in the sharing of facilities, which mercifully,did not take place. The raging debate on whether Universities of Technology CFUTs)

39

should remain or not was being fuelled with gusto byintellectuals, most of whom werefrom the existing conventional Universites. Most argued that the Universities ofTechnology were, at best a duplication of faculties of Engineering and Technology in con-ventional Universities and should not have been established to compete for scarceresources which would have been used to revamp and expand existing facilities, ofengineering and technology in the conventional Universities. With the benefit of hind-sight, it is doubtful if the then existing Universities would have been given the funds thatwent into building the PUTs. Some, like ourselves, hold the view that investment intechnology which is probably the most productive investment, is best achieved, in the areaof manpower production, in the establishment of Universities of Technology. The spateof negative views on the establishment of Universities of Technology and the fear thatsuch Universities might not last did not help in the recruitment of academic staff for theUniversities, a situation which led to people who have accepted academic appointments tolater turn them down because of perceived uncertainty of the continuing existence of ourUniversity. As if to confirm the fears of the opponents of the establishment of FederalUniversities of Technology, the Buhari Government, in 1984, in a night of long knivesmerged four of the PUTs with existing conventional Universities,a decision which waslater reversed by the present administration. PUT Akure, was spared the merger, whichone of our admirers described as being akin to escaping' "assassination".

The Federal Polytechnic finally moved out of this campus in January 1986 to' Ado-Ekiti, its permanent campus after which the University technologically transformed thesite! We are now fully established on this campus.

Second, we are graduating today 10postgraduate students, 8 with Masters and 2 withPh.D. Before now we have only graduated one Mechanical Technical degree student.Seven out of the 8 Masters students who are graduating today are our own students, andthe two doctoral candidates are our own staff who have benefitted from our local staffdevelopment programme. One of the doctoral candidates was supported financially by theRockefeller Foundation grant through the agency of International Institute of TropicalAgriculture (lIT A) in Ibadan. This is a landmark development and an indication that weare maturing fast. As a. mark of our progress on successfully running postgraduatecourses, the National Universities Commission (NUC) has given us permission to establisha full-fledged School of Postgraduate Studies effectivefrom this session.

As we look back over this past decade of the existence of the University, therefore,we have great cause to thank and praise God for.His goodness and loving kindness to us.Indeed we areesurer of reaching the promised land now than we were when we started in1982.

Our journey thus far would not have been possible without the support and sacrificesof many people, all of whom I would have loved to mention by name but cannot becauseof time constraint. I can assure them, however, that their names would appear in the bookon the ten years of the University which we plan to launch at our convocation next year.One must praise the courage of the Shagari Government for bringing about the establish-ment of the Universities of Technology, and especially our own in spite of the ragingcriticisms alluded to earlier. Our pioneer Chancellor, the late Emir of Ilorin, AlhajiZulkarnairii Gambari Mohammed, our pioneer Pro-Chancellor; the late High Chief AkinDeko and his successors, our first Vice-Chancellor, late Professor Theodore Idibiye Fran-

40

cis, FAS and the pioneer Council, Senate and Staff of the University deserve our praiseand gratitude. I have, in my convocation address yesterday, paid tribute to our lateChancellor and late Vice-Chancellor. It only remains for me to join my Pro-Chancellor inpraying for their peaceful repose in the bosom of God Almighty.

Academic Development:Students enrolment last session was 2,089 out of whom 248 graduated yesterday, with

3 in first class, 22 in the second class upper division while 171 passed in the second classlower division, 93 in third class and 9 obtained the pass degree. We expect that at the endof this year's admission exercise, we would have a total enrollment of 3,000 students. In-creasing number of students have continued to show preference for this University in theirapplication through JAMB. As I have had cause to report in the past, the University hasalways striven to attract students from allover the Federation in our admission drive. Lastsession, we enrolled students from 22 out of the 30 states of the Federation. As notedearlier, we are conferring higher degrees on 10 postgraduate students at today's convoca-tion, 8 Masters and 2 Ph.D.

Our academic staff strength has improved tremendously both in number and stature.Although appointment of Professors is not nowadays great news, yet when this concernsthe first set of home-grown staff, it ought to be broadcast. Two of our pioneer staff, Pro-fessors Gerrard Iremiren and S. A. Fashuyi were promoted to the Chair of Crop Produc-tion and Biology respectively. Professor Fashuyi was on time to take over from ProfessorKolawole who was just completing his two terms as the Dean of the School of Sciences.We congratulate them. Because of the increasing strength of our staff, it has been possiblefor us to release, without much hesitation, some of our 'academic staff for nationalassignments. Professor E. A. Adeyemi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, is on leave of absence,to serve as the Chairman of the National Monitoring Committee on theN25 million specialgrant generously provided to each Federal University by the President, General IbrahimBabangida. Mrs G. T. Fatunla, a reader in the Department of General Studies was ap-pointed by His Excellency, the Governor of Ondo State as Director-General to head thenewly created Economics Department in the Governor's Office.

Our linkages with Camborne School of Mines in the United Kingdom and with JohnsHopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. continue to wax stronger. While ourresearch activities have been limited by the low level of research funding and lack ofequipment and other facilities, yet some progress is being made in the design and fabrica-tion of agricultural implements, providing solution to some post-harvest losses, in-vestigating mineral resources in Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Kogi and Kwara States, in the produc-tion of low-cost laboratory and teaching equipment for secondary schools and breeding ofwildlife in captivity. The International Foundation of Science (lFS) is presently suppor-ting three projects in Farm Management, Snail Management and Fish Nutrition in theSchool of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology. The Department of Mechanical

.Engineering in collaboration with the Department of Meteorology designed andfabricated solar cookers which could serve as an alternative to other cooking methods andease the problem of rural dwellers in cooking, thus facilitating the preservation of theforest resources which are currently being depleted as energy sources for cooking in therural areas. The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation(UNESCO) has chosen the University as the Headquarters of its Man and Biosphere(MAB) Project in Nigeria and the Centre for ecological monitoring in Nigeria.

41

Plans have reached an advanced stage to make theDepartment of Meteorology aRegional Meteorological Training Centre for Class One Meteorologists in Africa.Towards thisend, the World Meteorological Organisation has already sent a team ofex-perts to assess training facilities available for the training ofMeteorologists in theUniver-sity. The Department has also been nominated as the Zonal Co-ordinator for theAgricultural Development Programme(ADP) assisted Agro-Climatological and EcologyZone Study of Ondo State. The experience we have gained and the achievements we havehad with our post-harvest technology programme have enabled us to request and begranted permission by the NUC to run a degree programme in Food Sciences andTechnologr in the School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology effective this1992/93 session.

As I mentioned yesterday, Nigerian Universities experienced a lot of disruptions inacademic activities last session due to the parlous state of our economy, deterioration inthe value of the earnings of University staff brought about by the declining value of theNaira, and the decay of the physical infrastructures in Universities. FUT A of course, wasnot spared this unhappy development which led to the extension of the second semesterand the shifting of our traditional convocation dates to now. We should thank the Presi-dent and the Federal Government for agreeing to negotiate with the striking workers ofUniversities, for the concessions granted and for agreeing to implement the package ofsalary and allowances proposed by the negotiating team of which I had the privilege ofserving as a member, and indeed for having begun to implement the agreement. For peaceto reign on University campus and for Universities to achieve the objectives for which theywere set up, however, it is important that funds. to fully implement the agreement, beprovided.

Capital Development:

I am happy to report that some of the projects for which we sought financial supportthrough our endowment fund launched in 1990, have now been completed. Among theseare:

1. The University Community Centre built at·a cost. ofN3.8 million which was commis-sioned on April 22, 1992 by the Honourable Minister of Education and YouthDevelopment, Professor Aliu Babatunde Fafunwa. The Centre has been namedafter our pioneer Chancellor, Alhaji (Dr.) Zulkarnaini Gambari Mohammed, asZulkarnaini Centre, in recognition of his contribution to the growth and develop-ment of the University;

2. The university Power Station completed ata cost of aboutN7 million; and3. The road network completed at a cost of approximatelyN2.8 million.

We are grateful to those who contributed to our endowment fund and in particularthe Federal Government, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, former Bendel now Edo and Delta' andPlateau States, Bashorun Abiola, and staff of the Federal University of Technology,Akure.

The President, General Ibrahim Babangida had, earlier this year, granted a sum ofN2S million to each Federal University in the country to meet Capital and, to some degree,recurrent expenditures. We appreciate this kind gesture of Mr President. Part of theN2Smillion was allocated to the construction of l<h1nits of Junior Staff Quarters. These werecompleted and handed over only this week. We have commenced construction work on

42

the first phase of our Science laboratory blocks and the second phase of Zulkarnaini Cen-tre. The construction of the Administration building, which we started last year, thanks tothe N25million special grant, is progressing satisfactorily and, all being equal, should becompleted within the next 6 months.

I am also delighted to report that the University is one of the first set of Universites toqualify to draw from the World Bank University sector loan facility. Our equipment orderhas been completed and we should soon start to receive the items. The movement from thenursery part of this mini-campus to the centre core where this ceremony is taking place,started last year with the commissioning in November1990 by Mr President, of theacademic blocks housing the Schools. Because of lack of funds, the library, presentlylocated in temporary accommodation, will have to remain on the nursery campus, anundersirable situation. We have made proposal for the building of a new library to theNUC and do hope that the Federal Government will be favourably disposed to ourrequest.

Staff and Students Welfare:

Significant progress has been made in addressing staff welfare issues following theaccord reached during the recent negotiation between the Federal Government andacademic staff of Nigerian Universities on matters pertaining to conditions of service,University funding, autonomy and academic freedom. Loan to refurbish vehicles hasbeen increased, for individual staff, fromNIO,OOOto N20,000 and housing loan fromN80,000 to N200,000. An initial sum of N2.75 million was recently released by the FederalGovernment to fund the University's housing loan scheme which we started on our ownfour years ago. As part of efforts to accentuate staff welfare, I am happy to announcethat Council has approved the establishment of FUTA Secondary School and this ap-proval has been implemented by the University with the admission of the first set of JSS Istudents who started Classes last November. It is hoped that this development will reducethe burden on members of staff who seek good secondary schools to train their children.

We have continued to support the welfare programmes already in place for studentsin the University. Because of the increased enrolment, however, and the scarcity of goodaccommodation around the campus, the problem of students accomodation, is back withus. We appeal to the Akure Local Government to fulfill its promise of building hostel ac-commodation which our students can rent and appeal to other Local Governments in theState and private enterpreneurs to assist us in providing solutions on this problem. On ourpart we remain optimistic that the Federal Government will provide funds to embark onthe second phase of our student accommodation project, the first phase having been com-missioned in1990 by Mr President.

Technological Education and Manpower Supply and Demand:

Representative of the Visitor, please permit me to dilate briefly on an issue that mayhave escaped attention in the Longe Report on Higher Education but which bearsrepeating. Our University has no problem with the60:40 ratio in favour ofScience/Technology in students enrollment in Universities since we are already100 per-cent science and technology. But we are concerned with the use of technological man-power (including womanpower) skills of the graduates we produce after they leave us. TheLonge Report referred to a study carried out which showed that in "the1986/87 and1987/88 sessions the proportion of science-based output (nationally) was30 percent and.

43

28.2 percent of total output respectively while non-science based areas of study had 70percent and 71.8 percent of the University output respectively". In other words, the ratiowas more like 70:30 in favour of social science and humanities and is distant fromGovernment expectation of 60:40 ratio in favour of science. The Polytechnics and Col-leges of Education Systems, though expected to turn out 70:30 in favour of science, werein actual performance, closer to 40:60 in favour of non-science. The report goes further tosay, and I quote:

... A close look at supply and demand patterns has three basic points whichrequire consideration. The first is that there is a seeming (underline mine) over-production of high level (senior level) manpower and the second is that them~ddle level manpower is under-produced. The third point is the issue ofsc~ence-based versus non-science based areas of study. The government policystipulates a 60:40 ratio in favour of science-based areas but our finding asreported earlier was different. The Universities, producers of high-level man-power) .wereproducing at about 30:70, the Polytechnics39:61and Colleges ofEducation at about43:57, all in favour of non-science areas of study by1989/90 asfound in Yoloye's report. It was argued that the students were 'Onlyresponsive to the structure of the economy ... "

The Commission then tried to ascertain the reason why the structure of the economyled to non-achievement of Government policy, and found that because of the economicenvironment, the level of production in most industries had gone down leading to severecapacity under utilization and retrenchment. Whereas, the service sector which does notrequire science- or technology-based individuals has been growing by leaps and boundsleading to increased manpower demands. The consequence of this development is thatscience and technology-based graduates would rather seek employment in the service sec-tor (Banks, Insurance and Finance Houses, Marketing companies, sales and distributivetrade, etc) where there are vacancies and where the remuneration is higher than the pro-ductive sector where there are, at best, only few vacancies and where stability of employ-ment is hardly assured. The 60:40 ratio of enrolment in favour of science/technology bas-ed area may, therefore, come to grief in the world of work unless significant and dramaticimprovement occurs in our productive sector.

If the situation has arrived when even the United States of America, one of the mostdeveloped countries of the world, and easily the most powerful country, came to therealization that they were moving away from production-oriented economy to consumer-oriented economy and that their strength lies in the productive sector rather than in theservice sector, how much more our dear country Nigeria. which is struggling to leadAfrica. No wonder, Bill Clinton got elected as the U.S. President on the promise of get-ting Americans back to work through massive support of the productive sector of theeconomy. The support for the productive sector in Nigeria will translate into support forour technological development and therefore the Universities of Technology. And we maycome to the realisation of the truism of the observation which Professor Sam Aluko, anhonorary graduand of today, made in his convocation address at this University in 1989that "it is possible that, on examination, the shortage or misapplication of the existinglabour manpower (including woman power) skills and leadership is a greater constraint toour technological.growth than the shortage of Capital". Our plea is that while we may not

44

be producing enough technological manpower, we should not allow, by acts of commis-sion or omission, the skill of the few we produce to be misapplied.

Tbe Graduating Students:

I wish to congratulate our postgraduate students who are being conferred with theirrespective postgraduate degrees today. Their graduation today is a landmark in thehistory of the University which up till now has graduated only one postgraduate student,and that was in 1987. They are all our staff and we like to hope that they will remain in theacademia to promote scholarship and excellence for which this University is dedicated.We congratulate our honorary graduands of today and welcome them to the fold ofFUT A fellowship.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Representative of our Visitor, Your Excellencies, Your Highnesses,My Lords, Honorary graduands, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you all forhonouring our invitation to this convocation and for listening to me. I wish you God'stravelling mercies as you return to your different destinations and His peace and joy dur-ing this festive season of Christmas and throughout the coming year.

EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA:BY

GENERAL OLUSEGUN OBASANJOAT THE

CONVOCATION CEREMONYOF

THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AKURE,19TH DECEMBER, 1992

Introduction:

Your Excellency, the Governor of Ondo State, Mr Bamidele Olumilua, TheChancellor, Pro-Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor, Co-Honoraries, and DistinguishedLadies and Gentlemen.

Let me on behalf of my co-awardees and myself express my sincere appreciation tothe authorities of the Federal University of Technology, Akure for the kind honour doneto us. As "a frustrated" chicken farmer whose professional forte and usual concern iswith matters of the stomach one would naturally feel out of place in this gathering of eggmass and University dons. But then, realizing that stomach care is also contingent uponknowledge, one may with diminished trepidation be able to relax in company of men andwomen of letters and knowledge as are gathered here. Let me congratulate all thegraduating students of this University for their success.

But apart from an unsuccessful chicken farmer, here are four distinguished and emi-nent Nigerian of world standard who deserve recognition and who are being so recognisedby your University. In the field of education, only few, if any can surpass the fine anddistinguished record of Papa Ajasin. Professor Sam Aluko has combined distinguishedacademic career in economics with advice at micro and macro level. Thank goodness he isnot a sapping economist. Professor Godwin Obasi has made his mark not only irl Nigeriabut also on the International scene.as an accomplished meteorologist. Professor OladapoAkinkugbe, a man of excellence, has achieved excellence in medicine and University ad-ministration. With men like these and there are women equivalent of them, why are wecollectively under-performing as a nation? While you are chewing up the question andtrying to provide answers to it in your mind let me seize this opportunity to comment onthe current crisis in the African educational system in general and Nigeria in particular.The importance of quality education to global growth and development is no longer amatter of conjecture. Trained and skilled manpower is our most valued tool for develop-ment. Today, however, we face the danger that the younger generation is being educatedinadequately for the tasks ahead. The generation that will be responsible for raising thelevel of development in the next millennium in our society may well fail.

Crisis in African Education:

Undeniably, the prevailing socio-political and economic climate presents us with aconfusing and limiting state of affairs. Although, the current crisis in our educationalsystem may have been seriously aggravated by the decline in our economic fortunes, thefoundation for the crisis actually goes back further in time to the colonial era and our im-mediate post independence action.

46

Letme say here that in-spite of the currentproblems confronting our educationalsystem, we are far away from our position at-independence at least in terms ofgrowth. Ifwe compare current statistics with the statistics at independence a lot of water has nodoubt passed under the bridge.

In quantitative terms, there has been a remarkable improvement in African educa-tional system between the sixties and now. According to a 1988 WorldBank Study onEducation in Sub-Saharan Africa,between 1960 and 1983 the total number of studentsenrolled in African institutions at all levels increased five times to about63 millionstudents. The report also pointed out that the 9% per annum increase in the rate of enrol-ment between1970 and 1980 is twice and thrice the rate inAsia and Latin America respec-tively. That report also confirmed that such a growth rate remains historically unparallel-ed in time and place. That in itself is no mean feat.

Regrettably however, what we have witnessed has been growth without development.In consequence our educational system has been growing at variance withthe realities anddemands of our development process. To fully understand the impact of our currentdilemma, it is also necessary to ask what is the philosophy for our education. To put it dif-ferently, education. forwhat? From available observations one may conclude that thewhole essence has been to produce a salary oriented education. Thus once you were cer-tified as literate or at times numerate, it was deemed enough to earn you a regular meal.The ideals of productivity and enhancement of the quality of life in the country was'givena back seat.

The Stamp of History:

Yet in pre-colonial Africa, education was purposeful. It was not, so to speak, thetransmission of knowledge for knowledge sake.Education was meant to prepare one forfull productive adult 'live.

Islam and Christianity emerged with potent effect on African education. The adventof colonialism with all its attendant paraphernalia literally cut short the focus. Otherelements of social relations emerged. Western education took the front seat and depictedour pre-colonial structures and processes as primitive and retrogressive. We embraced italmost without reservation. Yet colonial form of education was meant to produce merelyliterate staff who could execute the orders and instructions ofjhe colonial governors andhis retinue of bureaucrats. There began the emphasis on literacy as against competence;certificates as against productivity; formal schooling as against experience, expertise andknowledge and with it was the foundation of our current structural dilemma.

At independence, our political leaders were concerned with seeking the politcalkingdom and adding unto themselves the emphasis of their "bigmanism". They were in-terested in capturing the white man's seat replacing him and becoining the bigman. Notenough consideration was given to dismantling the appurtenances of colonial dominationand subjugation. Either they knew no better or it simply coincided with the pursuance oftheir enlightened selfish-interest. In effect we embraced with vigour the production ofmore graduates adept, informed and certified in liberal arts, classics and Latin and less in -medicine, engineering, agriculture, pure sciences etc. We had apparently set the stage forthe eventual and inescapable irrelevance of our educational system to deal with our pre-sent economic transformation.

47

THE PURPOSES OF EDUCATION

Yet education is a major catalyst in the ability of the peopleLO manage and inducenecessary changes in their life and society. Such changes are expected to enamour the peo-I

ple in confronting headlong the challenges of making choices and increasing the variety ofthe choice. In addition, education for us in Africa must seek to fulfil the followingobjectives:

(0) It must train the individual for a better appreciation of his own cultural traditionswhilst at the same time equipping him with the ability to absorb new ideas, newinformation and new data for resolving the constantly changing problems of hisenvironment;

(b) It-must train the individual to relate to and interact meaningfully with other in-dividuals in the society and to appreciate the importance of effective organisationfor human progress;

(c) It must develop the creative ability of individuals especially in the cultural andtechnological realms;

(d) It must foster in the individual those values which make for good citizenship,such as honesty, selflessness, tolerance, dedication, hard-work and personal in-tegrity, all of which provide the rich soil from which good leadership isspawned;

(e) It must promote the culture of productivity by enabling every individual todiscover the creative genius in him and apply it to the improvement of the existingskill and technique of performing specific tasks thereby increasing the efficiencyof his personal and societal efforts. Most important of all, political stability andeconomic prosperity in Africa and elsewhere cannot be sustained without a fun-damental revision in the way developing societies educate.

What is Education?Having at least denoted the purpose of education, the important point for now

therefore must be our conceptualization of education. What really is education, for us ascommunities, countries and as a continent? The Second Farm House Dialogue of theAfrica Leadership Forum on "Education and Development" defined education "as en-tailing a life long formal and informal process of equipping an individual to be fully awareof his environment and to exploit and manage same for the benefit of himself and thesociety at large". The former President of the World Bank, Barber Connableaptly observ-ed that "without education, development will not occur. Only an educated people cancommand the skills necessary for sustainable economic growth and for a better quality oflife". I will add that it is the proper, right and correct form of education that is necessaryfor development and transformation. To me so profound is the relevance of education tothe life of everyone that as the advertisement for American Express card goes, the basicinjunction must be "don't leave home without it."

The Current Defects in our Education:Commenting on the observable defects of our educational system in Africa, the

WorId Bank report referred to earlier argued that two major defects are the main afflic-tions of our educational system. These are:

(i) Stagnation of enrolment(ii) Decline in standards and quality.

48

Our problems, I believe, are also compounded by internal and external inefficiency.The educational system is said to be externally efficient only if the schools, Universities,or training institutions provide the required and necessary skills for the smooth running ofthe economy and school leavers or graduates are easily absorbed.into the labour marketand are able to find the jobs and the earnings they expect and are able to use their skills inproductive employment. The external efficiency of education is also a function of thesocial rate of return, i.e the balance between the costs of investment in education and theeconomic benefit as measured by the higher productivity of educated workers.

In 1988we were advised to reduce the running cost of higher education in Nigeria, in1992we have created a situation wherein, for instance, each of our Colleges of Educationrequires annually aboutN3.5 million naira on staff emoluments alone. We have31polytechnics and36 Universities. To these must be added technical and vocationalschools. I wonder what the carrying capacity of the economy is.

Interestingly enough, the total student population as at1990 in our Universities stoodat 180,871 students. For the polytechnics excluding Ikeja, Nasarawa and Kaura Namodathe population was put at60,533 as at 1986/87. I doubt if we really need such a largenumber of Universities and Polytechnics for our current student Population. I say thisbecause if you take a minimum size University like Corrlell University in the United Statesof America, it has a total student population of about35,000 and Michigan University hasa student population of about40,000 between them holding just under50% of the studentpopulation of the36 Universities in Nigeria. Shouldn't We have increased the carryingcapacity of universities and upgrade the facilities in them rather than multiply the numberas we seemed to have being doing?

It is really a matter of serious concern when one views the rate at which higher educa-tional institutions are created. Let me illustrate my worry with the case of Oyo State. Thisis a State that at the moment, cannot conveniently pay teachers salaries as and when due,either because of the administrative complexities or simply because of a serious lack of theresource base to finance it. Yet this is a state when at a time it had two universities onepolytechnic with about 4 satellite campuses, three colleges of education and in spite of thehuge financial outlay requirement imposed by the burden of these institutions the state of-ficials and indigenes still saw wisdom in establishing a state university. At times I wonder.I really wonder at the thinking behind the conceptualization.

Mr. Vice-chancellor, your Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, such isthe pride and thrust of our policy makers. Let me add however that the case of Oyo Stateis neither peculiar nor an exception to the rule. In actual fact we have not too dissimilarsituations dotting the country.

Getting our Priorities Right:While a lot has been said about the current brain and brawn drain from Africa, let me

comment briefly by illustrating with my experience of a friend of mine. He happens to bethe first dermatologist in Nigeria and who normally is a patriotic citizen and has amplydemonstrated his un-alloyed patriotism over the years. He was confronted with seriouseconomic problems and professional frustration. He agonized for quite a while beforejoining the Saudi Arabia train. Feeling quite guilty at first he was amazed and relievedupon arrival in the emirate to discover that the second Nigerian dermatologist was alreadyin the same country and the third was on his way coming.

49

Undoubtedly and regardless of thecauses we may have adduced as beingresponsible,the emigration ofsuch highly trained and skilled people from the African continent isdoub~ debilitating. The issue for now must remain that of a modality forre-attractingthem back to our continent.

It is within such a context that we can properly pursue with vigour the acquisition oftechnology. We all know that technology is culture specific and value laden. Everytechnology has its product (s). Such products are a function of the subjective preferenceof the cultural social milieu of the techonology. Inability to effectively grasp this basicreality has been the main scourge of our frustrations on the whole issue of technology ac-quisition in Africa. In the 70' s we wrongly embraced the concept of technology transfer. Isay wrongly because our emphasis was on the '!know how". We were hardly concernedwith the "know why"

We cannot hope to acquire any technology without understanding the know why. Yetat this age of technology and information we cannot afford to do less. Our acquisition oftechnology must-be informed by our seeking to unravel the basic knowledge and founda-tion of the technology, the reasoning behind the technology and the demand that inform-ed the technology. It is only within this process that we can have a technology that is inter-nally induced, generated and adapted.

In the interest of the future of Nigeria the universities have to be saved. They have toepitomize the best and the most ideal within the society. They have to be rationalized,made relevant and adequate.

Financing Education: Who Pays?:

The issue of who. should bear the brunt of the cost of education has always been a tes-ty one. The prolonged Nigerian economic crisis has sharpened this dilemma of cost aadcost bearing. The result for Nigerian education has been disastrous.:

Formal education is again becoming an expense beyond the means of the ordinaryNigerian. Equally damaging is the deterioration in the equality of education.

The situation is stark. We now have school buildings without staff or equipment.Elsewhere. desks and blackboards are placed under the trees for lack of school buildingsor other instructional aids. Secondary schools often lack science teachers, or may have ascience teacher and no laboratory. Universities are seriously under-funded, research has-suffered, and medical schools have sometime resorted to simulations because teachinghospitals lack the means to provide facilities. Regardless of the sophistication of severalarguments that have been advanced in the past, the current mode of financing of highereducation in Nigeria like most of Africa is socially inequitable, unjust and economicallyin~fficient. .I am convinced that since the marginal social benefit of education is bothpublic and private the cost of education should be borne by both the public and. privatesectors of our national life. It should not be lopsided on eithersideof the public privatedivide.

We must as a matter of urgency get out of our usual thinking and belief in free educa-tion. As we all know nothing is free in nature except life which is always taken by theGiver. The concept of free education is therefore a misleading concept because somebodysomewhere must pay and this inust be emphasized; and what we must do is to democratizeaccess to educational opportunities.

In addition, it isnecessary that from the kindergarten to tertiary levels the cost ofeducation must be proportionately shared among the federal, state and local governmentsthe community, parents and the students. Everybody must bear his own part of theburden to fully realise the value and to prevent the current level of waste within the educa-tion sector. The private sector must as a matter of priority seek to influence positively theequality of the products from our tertiary institutions. I'believe that time has come for thecorporate bodies and individuals to also sow where they will reap. The enormity of thecosts should not be left to the government alone.

Your excellencies, the Chancellor, the pro-Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor,Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen. Let me conclude my remarks here by saying that thefuture of Africa and its salvation lie in expanded popular education, with a built-in atten-tion to quality relevance, excellence, and economic integration. Education is humanresource development and deserves pride of place in assistance programmes. But whateverwe do, education must go beyond the meal ticket and capacity - building must go hand-in-hand with capacity - retention. The answer to my first question of why we under-performis leadership and critical mass in which education has a major role to play.

On behalf of my fellow awardees and myself, we are happy to be the recipients ofthe honorary degrees of the Federal University of Technology at Akure and we aregrateful to the authorities and to you all.

Thank you all.

5J

CITATION-ON

CONFERMENTOF

DOCTOR OF SCIENCE(HONORIS CAUSA)

OF

THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OFTECHNOLOGY,AKURE

UPON

GENERAL OLUSEGUN OBASANJO (Rtd)(GCFR; D.Se;o.uai

Mr Chancellor Sir,It is my considered honour, pleasure and rare privilege to present to you, for the con-

ferment of Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, of the Federal University of TechnologyAkure, General Olusegun Obasanjo (Rtd), Grand Commander of the Federal Republic ofNigeria, Chartered (Civil) Engineer, Fellow, Nigerian Society of Engineers, DistinguishedFellow, University of Ibadan, Honorary Doctor of Science, University of Ibadan,Honorary Doctor of Letters, Howard University, Washington D.C. Honorary Doctor ofLaw, Ahmadu Bello University, Chairman, Obasanjo Farms Nigeria Limited, ElderStatesman, National and International giant, distinguished soldier and successful farmer,an accomplished author, a rare and unusual African leader whose name and fame trans-cend the sun - bathed coastlines of Africa, a man destined and dedicated to reshape thelives of his fellow men.

General Olusegun Obasanjo was born in Ibogun Olaogun, Ogun State of Nigeria, onMarch 5, 1937. He entered an Anglican Missionary Primary School in January 1946 andwas immediately made to skip two classes due to his exceptional brillance. In 1951, hetransferred to Baptist Day Primary School at Abeokuta.

General Obasanjo entered Baptist Boys' High School, Abeokuta In 1952 and fouryears later, he took the London' General Certificate examination as a private candidate.He passed, graduating one year earlier than his classmates in 1956.

He worked as a clerk and as a High School teacher before stumbling on an advertise-ment for officer cadets in the Nigerian Army. He enlisted immediately in 1958. Withoutgiving a thought to its implication or even knowing what the army was all about. He spentsix months each at the Regular Officers' Special Training School, in Teshie, Ghana andBritain's Mons Officers Cadet School, Aldershot. On his return to Nigeria in 1959, he was

commissioned aLieutenant. A year letter, he was in the Congo as part of the Nigeriancontingent to the United Nations Peace' - Keeping Force. There, his performance and thatof his bosom friend, Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, won the admiration of his seniors.

He joined the Army Engineering Corps upon his return from the Congo and in 1962,he left for the Royal College of Military Engineering, Chatham, England, for the youngofficers Military Engineering course. He won a citation as the best commonwealth studentever at his graduation. He registered privately for the society of Engineers' Professionalexamination, completing it within a record time of one year and he was chartered as aCivil Engineer. He was never to see his beloved mother again, for while he was inEngland, Madam Ashabi Obasanjo passed away. His father Pa Amos Adigun followedbarely a year later.

On June 22, 1963, while studying in England, he married 21 year - old OluremiOkanlawon, a girl he had dated for seven years. She is today the mother of six successfulchildren. The eldest, Iyabo, 25 holds a Doctorate in Veterinary medicine; her Sister,Busola, 24 holds an M.B.A degree, their brother Olusegun jnr 23 is a graduate student ofArchitecture in Chicago, the second son, Gbenga 21 is a medical student, his Sister, Bola16 is in high school and her nine year old Sister, Damilola is an elementary school pupil.In 1980, General Obasanjo married former Miss Stella Abebe with whom he has a son .

.When General Obasanjo returned from England in 1964, he worked briefly inKaduna before being sent again for another course at the India Defence College, India in1965 where, on graduation in January 1966, he was voted the best officer ever sent fromNigeria. Two days after his return home, the first military coup in Nigeria, led by his in-timate friend, Chukuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, terminated the civilian rule at the time. It wasa coup which has for good or for bad, changed the course of Nigerian history.

A series of devastating political crises followed this coup and culminated in a three-year secessionist war waged by the Igbos for a Biafran Republic. General Obasanjo,already a Brigadier then, led a Federal offensive that finally ended the civil war in January1970. His handling of the final phase of the war was described even by the Biafran rebelsas fair, just and humane. He became a national figure and was soon invited, in 1975, tothe Federal Cabinet as Federal Commissioner (Minister) for Works and Housing. GeneralObasanjo spent only six months as Commissioner in Gowon's cabinet before anothercoup disbanded the visionless and prevacating government and handed over power to atriumvirate of Obasanjo, Murtala Muhammed and T. Y. Danjuma.

General Murtala Muhammed lasted only 200 days as Head of State before he wasassassinated in a failed coup on Friday 13th February 1976. His death so shatteredGeneral Obasanjo that he decided to quit the army and the government. He was persuad-ed back into the army and to accept the position of Head of State on February 14, 1976.He came face - to - face with his destiny.

His reformist administration initiated several visionary programmes such as· landreforms, Universal Free Primary Education; iron/and steel industry, massive road con-struc~ion, particularly expressways, public housing projects and petrol ,. chemical in-dustries. For the first time in our nation's history, Nigeria began to assert herself in the in-te~~ational ar~na. ~fric~ became the centre - piece of the nation's foreign policy. Massivemilitary and financial aids were given to African Freedom Fighters and this ensured theindependence of Zimbabwe, Angola and Mozambique.

53

General Obasanjo is a man of his words.They may be bitter, they may be blunt, theymay be long or they may be short: but he will stand by them. Not for him the unenviablegame ofprevarication. Promises, afterall, he felt; are not like eggs.They should not bebroken with impunity, they consistute a measure of integrity, a veritable yardstick bywhich sincerity can bemeasured.Thus, on assumption of office in1976, he reaffirmed hispredecessor's promise to organise elections and end the Military's thirteen year hold onpower. He kept that promise in 1979despite theadvice of some fellowAfrican leaders andeven his millitary colleagues to renege on his promise.

On October 1, 1979, history was made in Nigeria. On.October 1, 1979 history was .made in Africa. General Olusegun Obasanjo, honest and true - to - type, voluntarilyhanded over power to democratically elected civilian government, becoming the first ever(and so far the only) African Mili~ ruler to have done so.

Mr Chancellor, Sir, this is no mean achievement. On an African landscape, litteredwith red - eyed, blood-thirsty dictators, sit - tight monsters and transmogrifying anarchistsand pseudo-visionaries, General ObasaIijo's example has remained, for the thirteenthyear running, the lone bright star in the African horizon. always reminding Africans thatthere is nothing inherently bad in being black, that Africans exist still, who can keep theirpromise and that the changing of political batons is not afterall an alien, UnAfricanphenomenon. This unparalleled example has even assumed a form of its own, armed as itwere with a gong conscience, sermonising over the socially, economically and politicallywasted landscape of Africa, with just one message to all; "you are what you think youare". A true man of his words, General Obasanjo brought integrity, straight-forwardnessand predictability into governance.

He understood properly the meaning and essence of power that although the attain-ment and acquisition of power are a daily preoccupation of man, all power in the longrun, belongs to Olodumare. He gives. He takes. General Obasanjo understood properlythat power was useless if in the end, it left the lives of men in tatters or if it did not seek toelevate man's inner virtues. He, successfully, blended all the attributes of power (credibili-ty, predictability, fairness, firmness and justice) to give Nigeria, the blackman's largestnation on earth, a rare era of political direction now affectionately referred to as the Mur-tala/Obasanjo era. It is an era from which all subsequent military regimes have sought todraw inspiration and acceptability upon coming to power. It is an era which Nigerians willnot forget in a hurry. Sensing that a hungry nation was an angry nation, General Obasan-[o put food where it was needed most; not in the imaginations of children, not on thepages of newpapers, not in well-bound agricultural conference proceedings, but rightthere in the stomach of Nigerians. A leader with tremendous fiscal acumen, he brought in-to government, responsible financial management and a frugality never before known inthe history of this nation. A frugality which contrasted sharply with the prodigal venalityof both the previous and subsequent administrations. On handing over power, he also leftbehind billions of dollars for the in - coming administration.

Since leaving office in 1979, General Obasanjo has devoted his life to promotingworld peace, security and development. He has projected himself as an internationalstateman whose agenda are not constrained by micro-ethnic, tribal, national or even con-tinental boundaries. He has a globalistic view of the problems of man and views hunger,disease, thirst and famine as the borderless monsters of out time. In our world today, veryfew men can be credited with global vision and fewer still have selflessly put themselves in

54

the service of mankind, with the kind of energy, commitment and enthusiasm of GeneralObasanjo. His global vision is that of a strong, peaceful, safe, healthy, secure and pro-sperous, democratic family where no man woulo be discriminated against because of hiscolour or creed and where the intrinsic worth of every human being is recognised, utilizedand respected.

General Obasanjo's best known international assignment so far is his co-chairmanship (with former Australian Prime Minister Malcom Fraser) of the Com-monwealth Eminent Persons Group on South Africa in 1985. The group was mandated toseek a peaceful solution to the racial problem of South Africa as well as to quicken thedemise of apartheid. General Obasanjo's contribution won the commendations of a largenumber of people, including President F. W. de Klerk. Diplomats allover the world havevariously described him as a pragmatist. a man with tremendous ability to build interna-tional bridges, a man who is always ready to put his past experience in the service ofhumanity, the personification of the concept of leadership beyond power, a man willingto render service to humanity without the vested interest of acquiring power, either inNigeria, Africa or the world; a man wanting to help people without wanting the status ofpower; besides, a credible man. General T. Y. Danjuma in 1986 described him as easilythe best Head of State Nigeria has had since independence.

Mr Chancellor Sir, it is this .great man; this humble man of intellects, this,man of in-tegrity, this man of his words, this witty and amiable blunt and fearless, kind andhumarie, firm and resolute soldier and stateman par-excellence, this proud son of Nigeriaand Africa, this international messenger of peace, security and development, thisdefender of suffering fellowmen. this courageous farmer who pleaded that a human facebe moulded on SAP, this exemplary advocate of self-reliance and hardwork that I presentto you and request you, in the name of the Governing Council and Senate, to give thea~ard of Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa of the Federal University of Technology,Akure, and to receive him as a member of this great technological Uhiversity with all itsrights and privileges. .

Saturday December 19, 1992.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY ORATOR

Dr. Idowu B. Odeyemi, Bsc. Ph.D. D.G.S. MNMGS, MGSA, is currently ActingHead of Department of Applied Geology, Federal University of Technology, Akure. Heteaches Structural Geology, Gemstones Technology and Remote Sensing. He is currentlyExesutive Secretary, Third World Association for Remote Sensing (T.W.A.R.S).

55

CITATIONOF THE

AWARD OF HONORARY DEGREEOF

DOCTOR OF SCIENCE(HONORIS CAUSA)

TO

PROFESSOR OLADIPO OLUJIMI AKINKUGBE, cON.

Honourable Vice-Chancellor,I present to you for the conferment of the Degree of Doctor of Science honoris causa

of the Federal University of Technology Akure, an eminent Nigerian in the person of Pro-fessor Oladipo Olujimi Akinkugbe, Professor of Medicine, Commander of the Order of

\

the Niger, Federal Republic, of Nigeria, Officer de L'order National. de la Republique deCote d'Ivoire, the Atobase of. Ile-Ife, cradle of the Yoruba race and the Babalofin ofIjebu-Igbo.

Professor Akinkugbe was born on 17th July 1933 in Ondo Town. This collosus, thisgiant of a being, this natural leader of men, was the third of the six children born to thelate Chief David Akinkugbe, the Odofin of Ondo and Chief (Mrs) Grace Akinkugbe, theIya Ijo of St Stephen's Cathedral Church Ondo. No doubt, his parents were eminentleaders in Ondo Town.It is therefore' not surprising that Professor Akinkugbe's life hasbeen characterised by commendable service in various leadership positions. From earlylife, he chose the path of Education, partly as a result of the inspiration he received fromhis primary school Headmaster in the person of D. A. Odukunle, now His Royal

.Highness, the Oluoke of Okeigbo. Having decided on a career in Education, he was deter-mined that only the best was good enough, both in terms of the institutions attended andthe discipline, Medicine, which he finally chose to study.

He entered the Government College Ibadan in 1946 with a Class of some other 23boys that included Professor Wole Soyinka, Professor Muyiwa Awe, Dr ChristopherKolade and Ambassador Abel Guobadia. He ended up being a House' Prefect in his finalyear. At the University Level, he studied in top class institutions which include the Univer-sity College, Ibadan in Nigeria, the London University, Liverpool University and theBalliol College of Oxford University; all in the United Kingdom.

Professor Akinkugbe is a distinguished Physician, an outstanding Medical Scientistand Educationist and a renowned National and International Public Servant. Havingqualified.as a Medical Doctor from the University of London in 1958, before the BritishColonialists left the shores of Nigeria, he has vigorously continued to remain in the fore-front.of the pursuit of academic excellence. In this regard, he attended many. more leading

S6

Medical Schools and acquired variousdegrees, certificates, distinctions, and honours in-cluding the Diploma in Tropical Medicine andHygiene, DTM & H (1960), Doctor of

, Philosophy (1964), Fellow of the Royal.College of Physicians, FRCP (1968), Fellow ofthe West African College of Physicians, FWACP (1975), Fellow of the Nigerian academyof Science, FA9 (1980). In 1982, he was awarded the Honorary Doctor of Science degreeby the University of Ilorin partly in appreciation of his impressive performance as thepioneer Vice-Chancellor of the institution.

He has had very wide and extensive professional experience both as a Medical Practi-tioner and Medical Educator. From the relatively modest beginning of a House Surgeonin the London Hospital in 1958, he rose to become a Professor of Medicine and Head ofthe Department of Medicine at the University College, Ibadan in 1968, barely four yearsafter joining the department as a Lecturer in Medicine and Consultant Physician. A tallman by nature's endowment, Professor Akinkugbe's achievements have been even taller.The Professorship, though a notable landmark, only served as the spring-board towardsother laudable achievments and a lot more service to humanity. He was a: visiting Fellowof the University of Cambridge, the University of London and the University of Man-chester in 1969; a Visiting Professor of Medicine at Harvard University between 1974 and1975 and also a Visiting Fellow of Balliol College his alma mater, between 1981 and 1982.Since 1972, Prof. Akinkugbe has served on the World Health Organisation Expert Ad-visory Panels on Cadio-Vasscular diseases and on Health Manpower Development. He isa member of the Scientific Advisory Panel, CIBA Foundation, London. He served asSecretary to the World Health Organisation Technical discussions in 1984 and since 1990,he has been serving as a member of the World Health Organisation Advisory Council. onHealth Research. On the home front, Prof. Akinkugbe's impact has been no less striking.Between 1987 and 1989, he was the President of Nigerian Society of Nephrology. He serv-ed as an Adviser to the Federal Government on Post-graduate Medical Education from1972 to 1975. In 1978, he served the nation as Chairman, National Task Force on non-communicable diseases. In all these assignments, Prof. Akinkugbe recorded laudableachievements.

Not only -has Professor. Akinkugbe been a distinguished Medical Scholar andTeacher, he has, in addition, proved to be one of the most outstanding University Ad-ministrators in this country. He was Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ibadanfrom 1970-1974. He was Principal, University College, Ilorin and-later the FoundationVice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin from 1975-1978. He served as Vice-Chancellorof the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria between 1978 and 1979. When it was decided thatadmissions into the Universities should be centralised, the nation again called on Pro-fessor Akinkugbe to serve as the foundation Chairman of the newly created Joint Admis-sions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in 1977. This call placed a round peg in a roundhole as it resulted in an organisation that was well set up. He served as fro-Chancellor andChairman of Council of the University of Port-Harcourt from 1986 to 1990. In deferenceto his sterling leadership qualities, his fellow Pro-Chancellors made him the Chairman ofthe committee of Pro-Chancellors during the period. In consideration of his. vast ex-perience in University administration, it was only just fitting and proper that he be ap-pointed Chirman of the Planning Committees of the Ondo State University, Ado-Ekitiand the University of Abuja respectively in 1981 and 1983. That these two University existtoday on very sound footing is an eloquent testimony to his knowledge, vision and hard-

57

work. In 1991,he was again called upon to serve on the Commission onthe)~ev!ew ofHigher Education. As it were, this Commission was cal~5!~upo.nto r~~Guethe,UniversitySystem from imminent collapse. Currently, he is the Qh~rmim of,~he ~ation~l ~nml~!Den-tation Committee on the Review of Higher Education. Thatw~·.<y'~around today toobserve yet another important tradition-of the University Community goes.aIong way todemonstrate in a large measure that the work of his c~fi.l.mitteehas been, fru~tful.- .

Professor Akinkugbe has published many books and well overroo journal articles in .his field of specialisation. He gas delivered many scholarly lectures-both .at home andabroad. In 1983, this University has the rare honour of being.treatedjto.astimulating firstFoundation-Day Lecturerby no less a personality .than Professor Akinkugbe. He is amember of the Education Board of the International Journals of Hypertension, BloodPressure and Kidney International. He -is a member of the Board of Trustees, AfricanAssociation of Nephrology. ., . ;> . "

. Professor Akinkugbe is married toProfessorFolasade Modupeore and the marriageis blessed with two children, both males. A man of. regal bearing, his hobbies includeMusic, Gardening and Bird-watching.

Vice-Chancellor, Sir, the catalogue of achievements of Professor Oladipo OlujimiAkinkugbe is as clear asIt is compeling. It 'is in recognition ..of -these outstandingachievements in theMedical field-iin Education and generally in Community, Nationaland International service that I ask you, in the- name of the Senate and Council of thisUniversity to receive and honour Professor Oladipo Olujimi Akinkugbe as a Member of

the University holding the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY ORATORDR JOSEPH KAYODE OGUNMOYELA is currently Head of the Department of

Industrial Mathematics and Computer Science. He is a member of the Governing Councilof the University. '

S8

CITATIONON

CONFERMENTOF

DOCTOR OF LITERATURE(HONORIS CAUSA)

OF

THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OFTECHNOLOGY~AKURE

UPON

CHIEF MICHAEL; ADEKUNLE AJASIN)(B.A; PGDE,· C.F.R,· F. C.E.I,· D.Litt)

Mr Chancellor Sir,I am highly honoured, privileged and pleased today, to present to you, for the confer-

ment of the Doctor of Literature, Honoris Causa, of the Federal University ofTechnology Akure. (D. Litt), Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, Bachelor of Arts inEnglish, Modern History and Economics,Post Graduate Diploma in Education,

iHonorary Doctor of Letters, Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti, Fellowship of Ondo StateCollege of Education, Ikere-Ekiti (FCEI), Commander of the Federal Republic of Nigeria(CFR), First Civilian Governor of Ondo State, the first Scout Patrol leader for Ondotroupe, an indefatigable politician, a seasoned educator, a distinguished schoolmaster, ameticulous planner; a kind, gentle and honest man, a famous and legendary leader ofmen.

Born in Owo on November 28, 1908 to late Mr Peter Ajasin and Mrs DeborahAdeesa Ajasin, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin had his early education at the St Paul'sC.M.S. Primary School, Owo between 1914 and·1921. Thereafter, he attended therenowned St. Andrew's College, Oyo where he passed out in 1927. In 1927, he obtainedthe Third Class Teachers' Certificate, in 1928 the Second Class Teachers' Certiijglte andin 1935, the Senior Teachers' Certificate. H~ later proceeded. to the Fourah Bay College,Sierra Leone, University -of Durham (1943-1946) where in 1946, he obtained theBachelor of Arts Degree in English, Modern History and Economic. He also attended theInstitute of Education of the University of London in 1947, where he obtained his Post-Graduate Diploma in Education. Chief Ajasin formally entered the teaching profession in1927 as.an assistant teacher shortly after graduating from the College at St. Ahdrew's.Within three years, he had risen to the post of Headmaster of St. Luke's C.M.S. School,Sapele, (1930) a post which he held for thirteen years until his sojourn to Fourah Bay Col-

S9

lege in pursuit.of the golden fleece in1943.On-his return from SierraLeone in 1947,hewas appointed the first substantive Principal ofImade College, Owo (September 1947 toDecember 1962). As a result of unsavoury political developments in Owo at the time,Chief Ajasin quited Imade College as Principal in 1962 and went ahead to establish hisown school,' Owo High School in January 1963. He remained the proprietor and firstprincipal of that famous school from 1963 to 1975.

Being the first graduate of Owo origin and due to his deep concern for the progress ofthe community, it was difficult for him to confine himself exclusively to teaching. Theperiod between 1948 and independence in 1960 posed a crucial challenge to every literateperson in our small communities in the hinterland.

The constitutional reviews in Nigeria after the Second World War demanded the bestbrains and the most enlightened minds to project the self-assertion of towns and villagespreviously regarded as inconsequential. It was Chief Ajasin who wrote the proposal in1954 on which the free Education Programme of the Action Group Government of thedefunct Western Nigeria was based. He also wrote the proposal for the 6-3-3-4 system forProfessor Onabamiro, then Minister for Education under the Action Group Governmentof Western Nigeria.

A leader and a motivator of men, Chief Ajasin became the Chairman of Owo DistrictCouncil in 1954, a pest he held for four solid years before he moved up the political ladderin 1959 to become a Member of the House of Representatives (1959-1966) When in1977, the Nigeria Army, under the leadership of General Olusegun Obasanjo reorganisedand reformed the Local Government Administration in preparation for a handover tocivilian rule, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin was again elected as Chairman of Owo LocalGovernment, a.post he held until 1978, when he quited to contest the first Gubernatorialelections in Ondo State, an election which he won in 1979with over 1.1 million votes. Thismassive electoral victory made him the most popular Governor in the entire Federation.

Chief Ajasin's greatness lies in his personal qualities and character. Such was the con-fidence of the people in his integrity that those who knew him openly denied the charge ofdishonesty for which he was unfortunately tried in 1984 by a junk military tribunal. Peo-ple were therefore not surprised at the verdict of acquittal returned by the Tribunal. Infour years, he spent less than one percent of what other Governors spent in one year!.

Chief Ajasin 'has an abundance of God's blessing in his age and health. Only anegligible few of his age group show as much agility to contribute to .socio-political in-teractions as he does. At 84, he still goes to Ibadan on a day return trip to attend opeceremony or the other.

His scholarly disposition and exemplary character, his robust sense of honesty andhatdwork, his high level of foresight and his WIdeconceptual horizon have always markedhim out as a leader of men; a patrol leader of the first Ondo Troupe in Scouting in 1992;the House Captain of Philip's House at St Andrew's 1927, the President of Nigeria Unionof Students of Great Britain and Ireland (1947); The first. Principal Imade College, Owoand the first Principal of Owo High School, Owo.

As a result of Chief Ajasin's tremendous organisational and management abilities, hehas been involved in the formulation and execution of government policy since the fifties.He served as member of the First Revenue Allocation. Committee in Nigeria, member,Provisional Council of the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University),

, member, General Conference of the Review of Richard's Constitution which led to self-

60

government inWestern, Eastern and Northern Regions of Nigeria, initiator and co-founder of the Nigeria Union of Students in Great Britain and Ireland, member, House ofRepresentatives(1954-1966), member, Nigerian Union of Eminent citizens, co-founderand first Vice-President ofthedefunct Action Group (1951); Co-founder and President ofEgbe Omo Oduduwa; Chairman, proscribed Unity Party of Nigeria and life member since1953, of the Nigerian Red Cross Society.

In the service of his nation and fellowmen, Chief Ajasin has been diligent, humble,honest and hate - free. He is a shining example to his generation and ours in selfless serviceto the fatherland.

He felt that his education, knowledge and wisdom were useless and incomplete if theycould not be used to elevate the lives of fellowmen and if in the end he could not leaveplanet Earth better than he met it. He shared his knowledge and experience at will, believ-ing that in doing so, he was also multiplying them.

As a politician, he never sought to impose his political views or preferences onanyone. He refused to mix politics with education. Once he publicly chided a teacher atImade College who, believing this would please Chief Ajasin, pinned an Action Groupemblem on his shirt to school. The teacher was publicly asked to remove the badge!

Chief Ajasin, a democratic of the first order, believed that, In politics, people shouldbe granted the freedom to hold on to their views without force -.He .was acutely aware ofthe potency of knowledge and power as indispensable tools in politics and nationaldevelopment. He sought both and got both, and, in blending them together in leadership,he projected himself as a man of deep wisdom, a perennial stream of experience fromwhich all could drink to their fill.

As the first civilian Governor of Ondo State between 1979 and 1983, Chief AdekunleAjasin brought to bear on governance, the tremendous wealth of experience which he hadaccumulated over the years. He saw in the Governorship, a chance to fulfill his ordainedmission to bring development to the neglected, side-tracked and down-trodden people ofOndo State for whom he had fought tirelessly at the House of Representatives. He im-mediately set about the rapid development of the State, educationally, socially, andeconomically. In this, he also scored a series of Firsts. Today, the establishment of OndoState University, Ado-Bkiti, Ondo State.Polytecnnic, Owo, Oluwa Glass PIc, Igbokoda,Nigerian - Italian Ceramic Products Liniited (NICEPTS), Ifon, Owena Bank PIc, CocoaProcessing Factory, Ile-Oluji and the Confidence Insurance Company, bear undyingtestimony to his managerial competence and dexterity. After he left the scene for the cor-rective soldiers in December, 1983 hardly a pin lias been added to the fortunes of OndoState.

Ail accomplished' educator of men, among the long list of his very distinguished andsuccessful students today are Professor Albert Adeoye Ilemobade, the Vice-chancellor ofthis young but great University, Justice Eliab Ekerushe (Former Chief Judge of OldBendel State), Professor Agbede, Professor Ijalaiye, Late Senator Atake, Justice S. F.Aldeloye (the Chief Judge of Ondo State-whose father, late Chief Adeloye, theAboluwodi of Owo, had graciously come to the assistance of Chief Ajasin when he losthis father in 1928). These are worthy and eminent Nigerians who have had the rareprivilege of bathing in Chief Ajasin's pool of knowledge and wisdom.

Never volcanic, exuberant or violent, Chief Ajasin exudes an unusual inner serenityand peace, a lofty infective mien that radiates far away from its source and positively af-

61

fects those along. its path. A teacher of teachers, a leader of men, Chief Ajasin haspositively affected the lives of Ondo State citizens more than anybody else in its almostseventeen-year history.

Married in 1939 to former Miss Babafunke Tenabe, Chief Aja!in is blessed with foursuccessful children. His first child, a male; is a consultant medical doctor who is now so-journing in Saudi Arabia; the second, a female, is a civil servant; the third a male, is anAccountant and a successful Businessman while the last child a female is an accomplishedlawyer. So humble and so meek, inspite of his gargantuan achievements in life, ChiefAjasin is a veritable lighthouse of truth, honesty and selfless service tohumanity.

Mr Chancellor, Sir, It is this great man, this achiever, this humble man of intellect,ideas and great learning, this fountain of wisdom and experience, this great disciplinarian,this exemplary political leader, this pace-setter of our time, this unwavering democratic,this welfarist defender of the poor and dispossessed, this man of purpose and drive, thishardworking educator and man of peace, this assidous, thorough, meticulous and suc-cessful teacher, this pioneer among men, this quiet and soft-spoken man, this team player,

, this embodiment of nationalism and selfless service, this man of integrity, this advocate ofeducation for all, this motivator and innovator that I present to you and request you in thename of the Governing Council and Senate, to give the award of Doctor of Literature(Honoris Causa) of the Federal University of Technology, Akure to receive him as amember of this great technological University with all its rights and privileges.

Saturday December 19,1992.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY ORATOR

Dr Idowu B. Odeyemi, BSc., Ph. D., D. G. S.MNMGS, MGSA, is currently ActingHead of Department of Applied Geology, Federal University of Technology, Akure. Heteaches Structural Geology, Gemstones Technology and Remote Sensing. He is currentlyExecutive Secretary, Third World Association for Remote Sensing (T. W. A. R. S.).

62

CITATION

ON

CONFERMENT

OF

DOCTOR OF SCIENCE(HONORIS CAUSA)

OF THE!

FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, AKURE

UPON

PROFESSOR SAMUEL ADEPOJU ALUKO

Mr Chancellor, Sir,It is with great honour and pleasure that I present to your for the conferment of Doc-

tor of Sci,ence, Honoris Causa of the Federal University of Technology Akure, ProfessorSamuel Adepoju Aluko, Professor(Emeritus) of Economics, Fellow of the NigerianEconomic Society; Member, Massachussets Insitute of Technology;Centre for Develop-ment Studies in CambridgeU.S.A, Member, Royal Economic Society of London, Con-sultant Member, United Nations Development Programme for Africa, foundation Presi-dent, Nigerian Economic Society, National and State Economic Adviser, Member, Chris-tian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Internationally Renowned economist, Member, Ad-visory Committee on Technical Services (ACTS) of the World Council of Churches,Member, International Association of Small Businesses, Member, International Instituteof Public Finance, a seasoned educator, a devout and practising christian, a happy familyman, a simple, honest and straightforward academic whose name and fame resonate loud-ly across the world.

63

Professor, Samuel Aluko was born on August18, 1929at Ode-Ekiti, Ondo StateNigeria, a poor peasant community in the bowel of the thick rain forest belt of pre-colocial Western Nigeria. He had his early primary School education at home and afterhis standard six, he took and passed the entrance examination to Christ's School, Ado-Ekiti. On account of his outstanding performance, the then young boy was asked to startin class III instead of class I, a privilege reserved only for exceptionally brilliant students.Unfortunately, as a result of his humble and poor background, Professor Aluko couldonly spend two years in Secondary School, leaving School in class IV to face thevicissitudes of life, abandoned as it were to the buffeting winds of fate ..He went to teachin a Primary School at Ekpoma, Edo State where he met his beloved wife Joyce in 1947.There, he studied privately for the Cambridge School Certificate examination and passedin flying colours. It was no mean achievement in those days, one that instantly catapultedhim into local fame and glory. The whole of 1948 was rather uneventful, spent largely tosavour the scento-f success of an unusual village boy who spent only two years in schooland passed the school certificate! For him, all his goals had been achieved. He would nowremain a teacher and rise gradually, perhaps until he became a local headmaster. Fate,however, intervened through the shining example of another townsman and mentor,Chief Akinyemi. Chief Akinyemi, then based in Lagos, had earlier on prepared himselfprivately for and passed the London L. L. B· examination, thus becoming a Lawyerwithout stepping the four walls of a University. This was sufficient in 1949 to send theyoung Samuel Adepoju back to private studies. Being a naturally brilliant student, hequickly passed the matriculation intermediate examination in 1949, the inter BSc ex-amination in 1951 and the Bsc (Economics) examination in 1953 all at home. In 1954 hewas officially awarded the Bsc degree in Economics (External Candidate) with secondclass honours. He taught briefly at City College in 1955 where he was privileged to havetaught Ike Nwachukwu, now Major General and Nigeria's current Minister for ExternalAffairs. In the same year, he left for further studies at the London School of Economics,London University, in 1957, where he obtained his Master's degree in economics withdistinction. Two years later in 1959, he obtained his Ph. D degree in Economics. Although hestudied in England between 1955 and 1957 on the ticket of the Western Nigerian Govern-ment scholarship, the London School of Economics was to later award him a scholarshipof its own to study for his Ph. D on account of his distinctive performance at the Msc ex-amination.

He returned to Nigeria, in 1959 and was immediately appointed lecturer inEconomics at the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology. He left in 1962 forthe newly established University of He (Ibadan Branch) nowObafemi Awolowo Universi-ty. Following the devastating political crises that rocked the then Western region as well asthe newUniversity, Dr Sam Aluko, already a fiery economic critic, migrated as it were, tothe University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1964, as a senior lecturer in Economics. He was pro-moted Associate Professor in 1967. By 1967, the echoes of war we~e ringing in EasternNigeria and vultures, the birds of death, had started circling the Biafran landscape. A warzone was and still is no place for academic development, Professor Aluko had to return tothe University of He, in 1967 as a Professor of Economics and he remained there until hisretirement in 1979. Since then, he has been appointed visiting Professor at various.Nigerian universities.

64

An administrator par excellence, it was always difficult to ignore his leadershipabilities everywhere he worked.At the then University of Ife, he wasActing Head ofDepartment of Economics from 1962to 1964; at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka he wasActing Head of Department of Economics from 1964 to 1965 and substantive Head from1965. Back at the University of Ife (now O. A. U.) he was Head of Department ofEconomics again from 1967 to 1969, a post he held until his retirement ten years later in1979. When the College of Humanities was established in that great institution, ProfessorAluko became the chairman for two years 1972 and 1973. On the installation of the firstcivilian administration in his native Ondo State; Professor Aluko was appointed theEconomic Adviser to the State Governor. In that capacity he helped to shape theeconomic future of the State and guided the path of the Governor, Chief Michel AdekunleAjasin, who by providence, we are also honouring today. It is not by accident, therefore,that, while other Second Republic Governors were jailed for mismanaging the funds intheir care, Chief Ajasin was the only civilian Governor found to have come outeconomically clean!

Professor Samuel Adepoju Aluko is a man full of insight, a man who has consistentlylived ahead of his time, a rare economic sage, guru, prophet and critic who is always a feweconomic steps ahead of his nation and who bestrides the economic terrain like a collosus,'in equo pacis' with his contemporaries.

He is humane and kind, simple and unassuming. Professor Aluko is a man whowould not only allow human talents flourish, without let or hindrance, but who alsobelieved and had practically ensured that dormant, latent energies in fellow men are un-tied and unchained so that they could be of greater usefulness to society. Abhorrent ofotiose and indolent behaviour, he does not believe in the innate pre-natal subservience ofman. He does not believe that poverty is innate and insurmountable. A man given to hard-work, he, rather than shift his burden on his neighbours - the witch next door, the jealousrelation or colleague, phantom enemies and all has, as the centre point of hisphilosophical thought, the notion that man is the architect of his own fortune; that heought to take responsibility for his existence on this small, floating globe.

Early in life, he broke through the benumbing socio-cultural psychosis that forevertied not a few of his peers down to village fears, myths and superstitions. He pondered themeaning of life and his place in the cosmos; he sought to carve an enviable niche forhimself and posterity. The extent of his success can be gauged by the quality of honourbestowed on him nationally and internationally.

Professor Aluko realized the liberating value of education from youth. He knew thateducation was the only cause with which he could pierce the bloated excess of ignorance,poverty and fear. He believed that light and knowledge were interchangeable concepts;you have knowledge therefore you have light; you are enljghtened, therefore you areknowledgeable. For him, the opposite of light and knowledge was darkness and ig-norance. No grey zones. No transition. The more knowledge you acquire, the further thethreshold of fear and superstition will recede.

Professor Aluko is a simple and humble academic. The academic's academic. Not forhim lies, not for him genuflection at the corridors of power. Not for him unbridled osten-tation and uncanny, ·meretricious behaviour. He considers as anomalous, aberrant anddisdainfully incompatible, the notion of a Professor becoming a honorary local chief. No!he could not imagine himself asMr/Dr/Professor/Chief X~ the Bobayiwe of Gond-

6S

wanaland. An academic, pure and undiluted, straight from the bottle of knowledge. Nopraises attached.Just an honest and simple academic who believes that knowledge ismultiplied by sharing and who shares knowledge abundantly. With renowned economistslike Professor Aluko, foreigners who visit these shores have continued to wonder whyNigeria is what it still is today, a nation blessed beyond imagination whose citizens arehungry in the midst of plenty and thirsty at the source of a spring. A veritable fountain ofknowledge. Professor Aluko has provided intellectual and academic illumination forformer students who today are eminent Nigerians in the corridors of power. Leaders likeGeneral Ike Nwachukwu, the Nations External Affairs Minister, Chief Rufus AdaGeorge, Chartered Accountant and Governor of River State, Chief Obadan; DeputyGovernor of Edo State, Chief Ogbonaiya Onu, Abia State Governor, Alhaji AbdulkadirAhmed, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, have tasted from Professor Aluko's milkof knowledge. Included in the endless list are Professors, Managing Directors of Banks,successful businessmen, countless chartered accountants and manufacturers.

A devout christian and happy family man, Professor Aluko not only trained thechildren of others, he also trained his children and trained them well. His first child •.amale, graduated with a first class degree in Chemical Enginerring and he is now a Pro-fessor of Chemical Engineering in Howard University, U. S. A. His second child, also amale, is an accomplished lawyer; his third, a female is an Accountarit; his fourth, a male isa London based businessman, having earlier graduated in Urban and Regional Planning;his fifth, also a female, holds a degree in Money and Banking while the last child, a malewho entered University at the age of fourteen,also graduated with a First Class degree inMechanical Engineering. such a man, such a collosus. Under his roof and outside it, atpeace with himself and blessed with a good wife and family. An upright, righteous andhate-free man,Professor Aluko is a man of good and kind disposition who has turnedmany a houseboy and girl into graduates. He is contended with what he has and what hedoes not have.

It is this great economist, this academic guru, this international economic giant, thisamiable and benevolent self-made man, this teacher of teachers, academic of academics,Professor of professors, economist of economists, this contented family man; this na-tional and international economic adviser, this moulder of lives, this selfless, urbanizedNigerian, that I present to you and request you, in the name of the Governing Council andSenate, to award the Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, of the Federal University ofTechnology Akure and to receive him as a member of this great University with all itsrights and privileges.

Saturday, December, 19 1992.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY ORATOR

Dr Idowu B. Odeyemi,BSc., Ph. D., O.S. MNMOS, MOSA,is currently Acting Head ofDepartment of Applied Geology, Federal University of Technology, Akure. He teachesStructural Geology, Gemstones Technology and Remote Sensing. He is currently Ex-ecutive Secretary, Third World Association for Remote Sensing (T. W. A R. S.).

CITATION

FOR THE AWARD

OF

DOCTOR ·OF SCIENCE

(HONORIS CAUSA)

TO

PROFESSOR GODWIN OLU PATRICK OBASI OFR

Honourable Vice-Chancellor,

I present to you for the conferment of the Degree of Doctor of Science(honoriscausa) of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, a distinguished scholar and doyenof Meteorology and an acclaimed international Public Servant in the person of ProfessorGodwin Olu Patrick Obasi, Officer of the Order of Federal Republic of Nigeria. He wasborn in Okene, Kogi State on December 24th, 1933. He attended the Government College(BAREWA), Zaria where he obtained the G. C. E. 'A' Level Certificate in Physics andMathematics with distinction in 1956. He then proceeded to the Mcgill University, Mon-treal, Canada, where he obtained a B. Sc, Honours degree in Mathematics and Physics in1959. From there, he went to the Massachusets Institute of Technology in the UnitedStates of America where he obtained the Masters Degree with distinction in 1960. He ob-tained the Doctor of Science degree in Meteorology from the same University in 1963.

On his return .home in 1963, he was appointed Senior Meteorologist in charge ofResearch and Training by the Nigerian Meteorological Department. From 1964-1965, hewas the Senior Meteorologist in charge of Meteorological Services at the Lagos Airport inIkeja. As an expert under the aegis of the W orId Meteorological Organisation and theUnited Nations Development Programme, he worked as a Senior Lecturer in Meteorologyat the University of Nairobi, Kenya from 1964-1974. He was appointed Professor ofMeteorology in 1974 and served as the Dean of the Faculty of Science in the same Univer-

67

sity from 1974-1976. On his arrival in Nairobi, he found a Department of Meteorologywhich was more or less inconsequential. By the time he left, the Department had become acore department with almost all other Departments in the University offering a course ofMeteorology or the other. He returned to Nigeria and in September 1976 he was ap-pointed Adviser in Meteorological Research and Training. In 1978, he was made Directorof the Education and Training Department with the World Meteorological OrganisationSecretariat in Geneva. In 1983, he was appointed the Secretary-General by the Ninth Con-gress of the World Meteorological Organisation. By this appointment, he became the firstAfrican to occupy the post. The appointment was for a period of four years and it took ef-fect from 1st January, 1984. His performance was outstanding, so much so that the tenthcongress unanimously re-appointed him for another period of four years starting from 1stJanuary, 1988. The second term ended on the 31st of December 1991. Prior to the end ofthe second term, tile Executive Council recommended to the eleventh Congress as follows:

, 'Considering1. That the Secretary-General has performed his duties in a manner which inerits

the highest commendation.2. That he has in particular shown outstanding initiative and skill in meeting his

increasingly important duties and that he has demonstrated at all times high qualitiesof under-standing and impartiality.

3. That it would be entirely to the advantage of the Organisation if the Secretary-General were to continue in office.

Council RENEWS the expression of its complete confidence in the Secretary-General,Prof. G. O. P. Obasi and its appreciation of his service. Council Recommends to eleventhCongress that Prof. G. O. P. Obasi be appointed Secretary-General for a further periodof four years."

Even the Good Lord would have answered such a prayer. Professor Obasi is now ser-ving as Secretary-General for a record third term.

Professor Obasi has received several awards and honours in.different countries of theWorld. He received these on account of his diligence and outstanding contributions toMeteorology. These awards and honours include the Carl Rossby Award for the best Doc-torate degree thesis in Meteorology of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U. S.A. He was honoured by the Nigerian Government with the OFR (Officer of the Order ofthe Federal Republic of Nigeria) in 1983. He received the Gold Plaque Award of theCzechoslovakian Academy of Science in 1986. In 1988, he received the Gold MedalDecoration for Meteorology and Hydrology awarded by the Government of Paraguay, Inaddition, in 1989, he was decorated with the Cross Medal of the Air Force by the Govern-ment of Venezuela. This honour is the highest by the Air Force of the Venezuela. In thatsame year, the Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water management honoured himwith a Certificate of Appreciation and a Medal. He was also given the Climate InstituteAward in 1990. The Ogori Community of Kogi State, Nigeria, conferred on him the"Ogori Merit Award" in 1990. The honour here today will certainly make him a classicalcase of Prophet honoured both at home and abroad.

He has professional affiliations with several societies and institutions. He is a Fellowof the Nigerian Meteorological Society, a Fellow of the Colombian Meteorological Socie-

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ty, a Fellow of the Dominican Republic Meteorological Society, a Fellow of the RoyalMeteorological Society and a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society. He is also a memberof the British Institute of Statisticians and a member of the Board of Advisers of theBower Award and Prize for Achievement in Science of the Benjamin Franklin Memorial.

The special professional assignments he has undertaken attest to his wide experience,professional expertise and rare talent. From 1965-1967, he was Chairman of the Work-ing Group on Tropical Meteorology under the eagis of the Commission of Aerology. Hewas also Chairman of the Editorial Committee of the International Meeting in TropicalMeteorology. In 1975, he was Chairman of the Editorial Committee on the Symposiumon Flood Hydrology in Africa.

He was Representative of the International Association of Meteorology and At-mospherePhysics from 1974-1977; In addition, he was a Consultant of the Global At-mospheric Research Programme (GARP), a programme under the auspices of the WorldMeteorological Organisation. In 1977, he served' as a Consultant with WorldMeteorological Organisation' on its Education and Training Programme. Between1976-1978, he was Co-ordinator in West Africa of the Drought Programme of the Inter-national Federation of the Institute of Advanced Studies. You will recall that one of thegreatest climatic problems of the middle 70s in West Africa was the problem of theSahelian drought. It is delightful to note that Professor Obasi was at the Vanguard ofScientific efforts to tackle the problems. He went on missions to many donor countries toencourage high government officials to support the project activities in Africa. As an ar-ticulate and respected Scientist, he recorded laudable success in this endeavour. Also hewas the Nigerian Principal' Delegate on the Inter-Governmental Panel for the WHOlIC-SU GARP Global Experiment. Between 1976 and 1978, he.was Chairman of the NigerianNational Committee on the West African Monsoon Experiment. From 1984 till the pre-sent moment,he has been serving as a member of the Administrative Committee on Co-ordination of the United Nations.

A prolific and productive writer ,Professor Obasi has over 60 scientific and technicalpapers in the fields of Meteorology and Hydrology. He has also given formal lectures andaddresses on various subjects relating to the activities of the wor!· .vleteorolcgicalOrganisation.

Through his dynamism, charisma and patriotism, many significant benefits havecome to developing countries during the stewardship of Professor Obasi as Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organisation. Some of the benefits that have ac-crued to Nigeria include the following:

1. WHO participation to the tune of US $700,000 in the strengthening of theAgrometeorological unit of the Department of Meteorological services.

2. WHO execution of the Hydrological Forecasting System for the River NigerBasin, Phases I and II, About US $9 million was committed to this.

3. The installation of 18 data collection platforms, one data receiving station,spares, vehicles and training of staff in hydrological forecasting, data processingand equipment mairitenance.

4. . Provision of 12 fellowships for higher educational studies and the sponsoring ofseveral Nigerians to attend several meetings, Seminars and Conferences. ThisUniversity is the only Nigerian University offering degree courses in Meteorology.Professor Obasi has been a staunch supporter of our programmes.

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Vice-Chancellor, Sir, it is glaring that this eminent Meteorologist and InternationalScientist has contributed immensely to humanity. His achievements stand out clearly forall to see. In honouring him today, honour will certainly be given to whom it is due. I askyou therefore, in the name oftheSenate and the Council of this University to receive andhonour Professor Godwin Olu Patrick Obasi,OfR as a memberof the University holdingthe degree of Doctor or Science, honoris causa.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY ORATOR

DR JOSEPH KAYODE OGUNMOYELA is currently Head of the Department of. Industrial Mathematics and computer science. He is a member of Governing Council of

University

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