PROFOUND contributions of the old Ondo State's former governor, the late Chief Adekunle Ajasin, to Nigeria's education sector were yesterday recounted by Prof. Michael Omolewa, the country's former ambassador to UNESCO.Delivering the 10th Adekunle Ajasin University public lecture, titled: 'The Imperative of University Education in Africa: the Adekunle Ajasin saga,' at Akungba, Ondo State, Omolewa said Ajasin was credited with the introduction of the universal free education programme to the Western region, which was later translated by Chief. S.O. Awokoya, the Western Region's Minister of Education in 1955, into a policy paper before it was subsequently launched.He described Ajasin as a man of integrity and dignity, who had 'zero tolerance for usurpation, manipulation and exploitation of connections' to subvert due process.Adducing reasons for Europe's development, Omolewa averred that the coming of age of the university had led to the transformation of Europe. 'The continuing investment in the university,' he stated, 'may perhaps explain the hegemony of those countries and their vibrant role in international politics.He affirmed: 'It is not surprising to note that the universities in Europe and America have remained the most distinguished in the world, judging by the quality of their staff, infrastructure, students and alumni performance. The investment has yielded good fruits and would perhaps go some way towards explaining European and American superiority in technological advancement and modernisation, including excellent transportation networks, uninterrupted electricity supply and reliable heath care, not to mention superior weaponry and sophisticated commercial and marketing systems.'Omolewa explained that the major contributors to the development of universities in Africa were the British missionaries and academics, who had led the pioneering work, nursed the process of growth and remained active in the cultivation of the university in Africa.He recalled that it was the vision and efforts of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) that led to the affiliation arrangement for Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone, on 16th May 1876 with the University of Durham. He said: 'Under this arrangement, students at Fourah Bay College were to be prepared for a Bachelor of Arts degree and a licence in theology of the university. The dream of Secretary Henry Venn of the CMS to establish a college at Fourah Bay, equal in standing to Oxford and Cambridge ended, however, with the CMS introducing courses only at the affiliate status and limited to a largely theological orientation and the products of the College were expected to serve primarily as school masters, catechists and clergymen. But in 1878, N.S. Davis became the first West African to gain an Arts degree.'According to him, this signalled the emergence of the power of the certificate, held in high regard as a symbol of competence and skill in Europe. 'These certificates, especially those of the British universities under colonial rule, proved a potent tool for social and political enhancement and mobility,' he said. 'Vacancies' columns published in newspapers and offers from the United Africa Company (UAC), the Labour Department, the Audit Department and the Department of Posts and Telegraphs listed various positions and the qualifications required to fill them. Top positions, such as those of the city council medical officers, were held by university graduates and called 'European posts'. The demand for university diplomas and degrees was thus high, and the certificate became a passport to recognition, employment, wealth, authority and influence.'But Omolewa regretted that as years advanced, universities in Africa also began to decline in influence and lose their pride of place. The politicians, he declared, now saw university positions as avenues for political patronage as demonstrated by the membership of university councils. 'Many of the members of university staff began to display overt allegiance to political parties, further undermining the autonomy of the universities,' he stated.Omolewa was also of the opinion that the incursion of the military into governance took its toll 'as 'the military visitors' brought in their policies of centralisation, demonstrated impatience with due process and became arbitrary in their decisions on university governance.'He continued: 'The general decline of the universities also affected the students who were no longer beneficiaries of generous scholarship awards. The quality of accommodation fell because of the overcrowding in the halls of residence, the cafeteria and the lecture rooms. Gone also were the days when jobs waited for fresh graduates. Thus the myth could no longer be sustained that those who excelled in academic pursuit would amply be rewarded by the system. The pride of place held by university students began to disappear as indigent students struggled to complete their courses.'Government patronage of universities also declined as decisions were being taken without the backing of research findings or empirical evidence. There began a period of disharmony, in which governments failed to use the rich resources available in the universities, or accept them as partners in development.'Thus development in Africa was stunted: staff lost respect and many 'checked out' of their countries, culminating in the brain drain that has lured the best minds out of Africa. Academics began to lament the 'general gloom, low morale and apathy' in African universities.'The irony of the situation is that many leaders, politicians and military officials continued to make pious statements about their commitment to the universities. The many matriculation and graduation ceremonies, convocations and the conferment of honorary degrees suggest that university qualifications are still appreciated. Visits to universities and the setting up of visitation panels have become a habit, with each authority trying to outdo the other. It is important to point out that the decline being described here is by no means uniform for all African countries, as some parts of the region are making progress in terms of planning, quality and international recognition. For example, universities in Botswana, Ghana and South Africa have succeeded in attracting many foreign staff and students and preserving the diversity that makes a university truly universal.'However, the majority of our universities have been on the decline. Africa has thus unfortunately lost its track in the development of university education. An inventory of the challenges facing the universities has been articulated by the teachers themselves, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities in Nigeria, and featured impressively in the editorials of national papers such as the Nigerian Guardian, the Kenyan Nation and the Nigerian Punch.'On Ajasin's legacy, he said: 'The first lesson taught by the Ajasin story is that you can only give what you have. He was part of the crop of educators who were trained at the prestigious St Andrew's College, Oyo, from 1924 to 1927. He later proceeded to the first university established in Africa, Fourah Bay College, Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he studied from 1943 to 1946 for his degree programme. He later attended the University of London for his Postgraduate Diploma in Education in 1947. He thus operated from a position of strength and knowledge.'The second lesson taught by the life of Ajasin is that action is required for the achievement of any goal in life. Ajasin believed that one had to be in active politics to be able to drive home values and aspirations. For him, politics was a means by which to contribute to educational development and practice, and a veritable tool for the promotion of university education. For Ajasin, a life in isolation from the political process was not helpful to anyone. He thus became one of the founding members of the Action Group. He got elected into the Federal House of Representatives in 1959.'When the University of Ibadan Bill was being discussed in 1962, Ajasin's contribution was mature, responsible and displayed a familiarity with the core issues. Thus he spoke with passion and conviction at the Federal House of Representatives about the immense contribution made by the University College to national development and the positive projection of country's image. He then joined his colleague parliamentarians to warmly embrace the rebranding of University College, Ibadan into an autonomous University of Ibadan.'Ajasin suffered for his political stand and faced much persecution. During the military administration that terminated the Second Republic, he was relieved of his position as governor of his state, arrested and imprisoned. Following the annulment of the presidential elections of 1993 and the return of the military, Ajasin continued at the ripe old age of 87 to play an active role in politics. He was again arrested, made to spend a night at Owo police station, and subsequently kept on house arrest.The third lesson taught by Ajasin is that everyone, no matter how powerful, must follow due process in all that one does, and as executive governor of his state, he led by example.
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