The Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUD), Aare Afe Babalola has criticised the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed for closing all universities in Nigeria during the general elections on the orders of the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu.
Babalola, who said that neither the Minister nor the NUC boss had such statutory powers to close down universities for election purposes, on Monday lamented that “the forced closure of Nigeria’s universities by the Minister of Education and NUC has done irreparable damage to students of Nigerian universities”.
On 3 February, the NUC complied with the directive of the Minister to shut down Nigerian universities between 22 February and 14 March for the general elections.
But the ABUAD founder, who spoke in Ado Ekiti during the induction of 123 medical doctors from the institution into the medical profession by the Registrar, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, Dr Tajudeen Sanusi, said the damage to the students was further compounded by the present situation in the country.
The ABUAD Chancellor added: “To me, the problem that is causing apprehension among transactional politicians is the 1999 Constitution. It is the constitution that has made politics the only lucrative business in Nigeria today. This is responsible for the orgy of ‘do or die’ politics”.
In the induction lecture, a consultant cardiologist at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Prof. Ayodele Omotosho urged the new doctors to enhance the dignity and nobility of the medical profession, urging them to be guided by the principles.
ABUAD Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, said this year’s induction was particularly significant as the school recorded 100 per cent pass, saying 22 of the doctors had distinctions at various levels of the professional examinations”.
