The Vice Chancellor of Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State, Prof. Jonathan Babalola has expressed disappointment in the government for converting polytechnics into universities.
Babalola stated that the craving for certificates among Nigerians was encouraging forgery.
During the institution’s pre-convocation press briefing on Monday ahead of its 18th convocation ceremonies, the Vice Chancellor advised employers of labour to remunerate employees based on capacity to deliver, rather than the certificate possessed.
Lamenting the challenge of inadequate resources facing tertiary institutions in the country, Babalola assured that quality education and molding of characters that would excel amidst the current challenges ravaging the world would remain the paramount goal of the university’s management.
He said, “Am strongly disappointed in the Federal Government when they allow all the technical institutions to die, am strongly disappointed in the Federal Government when they started converting polytechnics to universities.
“What you need is skills. The federal government should rise up to that responsibility and I think they should stop looking at certificates. The point that you have a Ph.D. does not mean that you actually have what it takes to be a Ph.D. holder and this craving for certificates is what has made many Nigerians to be forging certificates.
“People should not be paid based on the certificate they have, they should be paid based on what they can deliver. If you know you are going to be paid based on what you are going to deliver, you will do all you can to get things that will make you deliver.”
Giving other details about the graduates in the 18th convocation, the Vice Chancellor, said a total of 834 students would be convocating with bachelors, master’s, and doctorate degrees in various academic fields.
According to him, 83 students obtained First Class, 338, Second Class Upper, while 222 others got Second Class Lower, adding that 65 students would bag Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree.
Also during the convocation, Babalola said 14 students would bag doctorate degrees, 17 others, masters degrees, while 6 students would get Post Graduate Diplomas.
He also said the Chairman of Channels Television, Dr. John Momoh would be conferred with Honourary Degree of Doctor of Media during the convocation ceremonies.
