Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Kukah canvasses quality education for generational change

By Muyiwa Adeyemi (Head South West Bureau Ado Ekiti)
22 October 2015   |   2:28 am
CATHOLIC Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, the Most Reverend Matthew Hassan Kukah yesterday described good quality education as a panacea to myriads of socio-economic challenges facing Nigeria.

_Bishop-Mathew-Hassan-KukahCATHOLIC Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, the Most Reverend Matthew Hassan Kukah yesterday described good quality education as a panacea to myriads of socio-economic challenges facing Nigeria.

He said, getting it right in the education sector will serve as a basis for transformation of values and a positive generational change capable of launching Nigeria into the league of the most developed nations of the world.

Kukah, who delivered the Third Convocation Lecture of the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD) titled: “Education and Leadership Recruitment for a Plural Society: A Case of Nigeria” identified distortion of nationhood as the main problem confronting Nigeria.
The lecture was chaired by the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega and was attended by the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, Alhaji Ado Ibrahim, ABUAD Founder, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) and other dignitaries.

Kukah said Nigeria must learn to manage her diversity and maximize it for the purpose of meeting its goals for sustainable development and fulfill the dream of its founding fathers.
He described education as “too serious a business to leave to the hands of trained educationists.”

Kukah, who canvassed support for the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari noted that fighting corruption could only guarantee a stable nation when it is complemented by entrenchment and protection of social justice and the rule of law.
He said that “corruption, poor leadership, nepotism, tribalism, sectarian crisis, armed robbery and other ills confronting Nigeria could be traced to the fundamental problem of distortion of nationhood”.

Kukah said: “A distorted society cannot expect the reward of a decent society. Happily for us in Nigeria, we are turning a new page. We must therefore not be seduced into thinking that we should hand over our hope, our dream and our aspiration to President Buhari and go to sleep.

“Corruption is a symptom of the disease of the distortion of our nationhood. We may have a transparent election but the most perfect electoral outcome does not translate to the right result.

“When people receive the license to govern, what does it mean to them and what do they do with it? We must acknowledge the opportunity of the concession of defeat by former President Goodluck Jonathan , we need institutions that can save voters from the excesses of the Nigerian politicians.

“As a country, we must have succession plan, we must have capacity for succession and the institutional capacity to recruit the future leaders and we must crate opportunities for young Nigerians to rise to the highest office in the land.”

He commended ABUAD founder, Babalola for bequeathing a university that now ranks as one of the best in the country.

0 Comments