Former federal minister of health and social services, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, has called for a redirection and reorientation of the value system in Nigeria.
The elder statesman who lamented that the nation’s core values are being eroded said such could be addressed through the instrumentality of formal education.
The renowned pharmacist also called on the Ekiti State government to prioritise and expedite action on the completion of the state’s airport project.
Prince Adelusi-Adeluyi made the comments yesterday in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, after he was conferred with Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) of the Ekiti State University, during the grand finale of the 28th convocation ceremony of the institution.
LEADERSHIP Friday reports that 155 of 10,894 graduating students of the state-owned institution were awarded postgraduate diplomas, master’s and doctoral degrees of the university at the event.
The lawyer-turned businessman called for the inclusion of local languages and history in the school curriculum.
He said, “The motto of this state is land of honour, land of integrity, fountain of knowledge; all these words sound superlative, but what we face in Nigeria today, Ekiti in particular, is where many of these values are being eroded, and formal education must be able to address these challenges.
“How can we explain the fact that an Ekiti-born person cannot understand Ekiti language let alone speak it? How can we understand the fact that an Ekiti person does not know the history of his people? If you don’t know the history of your people, you cannot be proud of yourself and your people.
“So, the challenge to our universities is to redo or rejig their curriculum in such a way that some room is made for the understanding of our language, of our history. That is being done in many parts of the world. The Norwegians speak Norwegian, the Indians speak Indian, and the Germans speak German; why can’t we speak our own language? So we have to address the eroding of these values.
According to him, Ekiti has the calibre of people who are innovative and creative to address the problems “because there is no problem, so big, troublesome, that we in our togetherness cannot address and resolve.”
Describing Ekiti as a very well-endowed state, Prince Adelusi-Adeluyi stressed the need for the government to identify indigenous people at home and especially in the diaspora who can come and assist the state.
Speaking further on the importance of having an operational airport in the state, he said: “I flew from Lagos to Akure in just 30 minutes, and we say we have an airport here. 53 percent of those who are flying from Lagos to Akure are headed for Ekiti. I don’t think we have an airport. I want to appeal to the government to prioritise this issue of airport.”
He asserted that opening up the airport will create opportunities for business and networking, and generally improve the economy of the state.
He urged the EKSU management to discuss with the registrar of the Pharmacists Registration Council of Nigeria, who was at the event, on how to establish a faculty of pharmacy in the university.
The vice chancellor of the university, Prof Edward Olanipekun, who eulogised the former minister, described him as a special and rare being who is a multilingualist.
Olanipekun noted that the university had witnessed unprecedented development under his leadership in less than five years.
“The university was ranked 157 in ranking out of 217 in the country but we are now among the first 20,” he said.
While appreciating the state governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, for his support to the university, he said the institution had been connected to the state Independent Power Project, and had had its subvention increased by 57 percent.