Legal luminary and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, has condemned the closure of all universities in Nigeria by the Federal Government over the general elections.
Babalola made the remarks on Monday in Ado-Ekiti at the 5th Induction of 123 medical doctors, who just graduated from ABUAD.
The former Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos said the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu’s directive, through the Executive Secretary, of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, was not only illegal but also needless and inappropriate.
He noted that the education Minister had no statutory power to direct the NUC to close down the nation’s universities, especially without consultations with stakeholders.
Babalola said the forceful closure of Nigeria’s universities by the Minister and the NUC, had done incalculable damage to students of Nigerian universities.
“Under the NUC Act of 1974 and the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act of 1985, the Minister has no statutory power to issue a directive to NUC to close down universities. I refer in particular to section 4(2) of the 1974 (NUC) Act”.
“The problems have been worsened by the scarcity of money by banks and automated teller machines, ATM, all of which ordinarily make transportation back home, more dangerous than ever before.
“If you want to destroy a nation, you don’t need bayonets, bombs, or nuclear warheads. All you need is to destroy the education of the nation.
“The illegal closure has adversely affected the curriculum, particularly in respect of private universities which are reputed for their predictable academic calendar and absence of strike actions,” Babalola said.
According to him, Nigeria has a criminal code, while other legislations have provisions that the government and law enforcement agents can evoke to deal with any person, whatever his class, as against, deliberately putting the security of staff, students and properties of respective institutions in jeopardy.
On the new Constitution, Babalola pointed out that the problem that is causing apprehension among transactional politicians is the 1999 Constitution.
“It is this constitution that has made politics the only lucrative business in Nigeria today. This is responsible for the orgy of “do or die” politics,” he said.
Earlier at the event, the Registrar, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, Dr. T.A.B. Sanusi, inducted the 123 medical doctors of the institution into the medical profession.
The induction ceremony is for the 2022 graduating set and the 5th Induction ceremony of the MBBS programme of the institution.
In her speech, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, said this year’s induction was particularly significant, as 100 percent pass was recorded for the new brand of medical doctors.
She noted that 22 of the doctors had distinctions at various levels of the professional examinations.
“I must sincerely commend Miss Ginika Stephanie Okafor, for her outstanding performance with eight distinctions, out of the available 11, and Miss Ikuabe Mary-Ann with seven distinctions.
“Others were Izunobi Somtochukwu, Modilum Kenechukwu and Okafor Chinaza led their male counterpart with four and two distinctions respectively”.
The VC charged the new doctors to constantly remember that they were ambassadors of the institution, and always uphold the code of conduct of the medical and dental council of Nigeria.
Prof. Olarinde noted that medicine and surgery in the institution, were the most subscribed medical school in the entire country and that it could hardly admit 10 percent of the applicants who wanted to study medicine in ABUAD annually.
In the Induction lecture, Prof. A.B.O Omotosho, a Consultant Cardiologist, urged the new doctors to enhance the dignity and nobility of the medical profession.
Omotosho urged the new doctors to be guided by the principles of conscious medical practice.
