Prominent traditional ruler, the Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu-Alagbado, has expressed worry over Nigerians’ continuous dependence on foreign products and as such denying the country of opportunities for self-reliance and job creation for the teeming populace.
Oba Adu-Alagbado, however, said starving the universities of funds which had made it difficult for them to have researches that could address the country’s self-reliance needs, was among the reasons for dependence on foreign products.
The traditional ruler, who spoke at Ikere Ekiti on Friday when the community donated an N16 million made-in-Nigeria ambulance to the state government-owned Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti, challenged the university to be different by coming out with researches that had a direct impact on society.
He said, “This ambulance will be useful now that the population of students and staff is increasing. We don’t want to buy a foreign-made ambulance. We can’t continue to buy things from foreign countries and expect our youth to get jobs. That is the reason our university must do research, bring out innovations and give to local industries to make or manufacture their products.
“Consider it, our roads are contracted to foreign contractors; why is it that our universities cannot produce tractors for use on the farms? These universities are starved of funds, hence no research.
“I’m challenging BOUESTI to be different. We want to see the impact of the university on society. Through your research, let this university be an outstanding one. Challenge those our people outside who have money on your projects and we will encourage them. We will continue to support the university,” the monarch said.
The Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, represented by the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Bimpe Aderiye, who received the ambulance, lauded the Ikere community and the Ogoga for the gesture, saying, “With this extraordinary gesture, you are bringing back the love that our forefathers had for education and community development”.
BOUESTI Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Femi Adeoluwa, who said Oba Adu-Alagbado and Ikere community had challenged the university with passion and commitment to it, assured, “We will not disappoint you”.
Adeoluwa, who said the ambulance had filled the gap in getting students to the hospital if need be, also assured that “the university health centre would be expanded soon with the money received from Ikere community so that we would have more care for our students.
The Ikere Ekiti community which had promised the university N500 million, had last year donated N60 million to the institution among other supports.
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