Yar'Adua, others challenge stakeholders on economic crisis, Nigeria's image
From Mohammed Abubakar (Abuja) and Wole Shadare (Lagos)
PRESIDENT Umaru Musa Yar'Adua in Abuja at the weekend challenged Nigerian universities to respond adequately to the new challenges posed by the current global economic meltdown by devising ways and means to liberate the country from the problems engendered by the crisis.
Also at the weekend, but in Lagos, Senate President David Mark as well as Information and Communications Minister, Prof. Dora Akunyili, urged political leaders and other Nigerians to rise to the challenge of rebuilding the country's economy and image to ensure sustainable development and stability.
Yar'Adua, who spoke at the 14th convocation of the University of Abuja at the weekend, said Nigerian university system must be adequately equipped to compete with the best in the world which are increasingly driven by knowledge and technology.
"This is the challenge which we must overcome if we are to realize our lofty vision for the country," he remarked.
"I must say that the general state of our universities has been great cause for concern."
Although he acknowledged that there have been encouraging signs from Nigerian universities in recent times, the President, represented by the Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, said the government on its part, was committed to the regeneration of the sector, which was underscored by the priority accorded human capital development in its seven-point agenda.
He urged governments at all levels, university managements and all other stakeholders to be prepared to live up their responsibilities towards ensuring that ivory towers produce graduates that could be confidently characterized as worthy successors to a generation suitably informed, sufficiently imbued with the values of diligence, dedication to national ideals and commitment to the common goals.
Besides, he said the sector had been accorded a prime position in the 2009 fiscal estimate and its faithful implementation would no doubt add positively in the major policy initiatives that government has put in place to return the universities to their place as prime pivot of national development.
He also challenged the University of Abuja by its unique location, to excel not only in quality of its academic programmes, but committment to the strategic roles and responsibilities for the development of human resources and engage in need-driven research.
"It should in addition be able to offer guidance to the ever -growing number of public servants, political class, and be able to re-tool the workforce in line with industries specific needs and global competitiveness within and outside the federal capital territory", he added.
The institution conferred honorary doctorate degrees (Honoris Causa) on seven prominent Nigerians namely, the Sultan of Sokoto, Mohammed Sa'ad Abubakar; two former Chief Justices of the Federation, Muhammadu Lawal Uwais and Salihu Alfa Belgore; erstwhile Agriculture Minister, Adamu Bello; and United States-based Chair in Religious Studies, Prof. Jacob Kehinde Olupona.
Other recipients were the two Chairmen of the Education Committees in the National Assembly, Senator Joy Emordi and Honourable Farouk Lawan of the Senate and House of Representatives.
Mark expressed fear over the persistent drop in the prices of crude oil, noting the situation has shown both the Federal and State governments the danger inherent in total reliance on a mono-product economy.
The Senate president equally stated that the National Assembly did not need to ginger the Executive to take urgent steps to cushion the effect of the global economic crisis, as the issue was purely a policy decision for Yar'Adua and his team.
He called on federal and state governments to diversify their economies, warning that continuous fall in the prices of crude oil in the international market could sink the ship of the nation if nothing was done.
Speaking to journalists yesterday at the Presidential Wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, Mark stressed that full reliance could have negative impact on the economy of the country and appealed to states to explore other similar areas where equal economic advantages could be achieved.
His words:" Is that not the more reason we have always said we should diversify the economy, so that crude oil is not the only source of generating foreign exchange. If it is the only source of foreign exchange, we will run into crisis. But, we could have jolly well gone for agriculture, which really is our main economic activity.
"We do not need a bill in the Senate to propel the executive arm of government to take urgent steps to cushion the effect of the meltdown. It is purely an executive policy decision. At least, states are told to embark on certain agricultural crops or produce, so that Lagos, for instance, can take one economic crop and it becomes its main stay and if you want tons and tons of that economic produce, you can go to Lagos State and they can produce enough to feed the nation, feed the rest of Africa".
Akunyili, who also spoke to journalists in Lagos at the weekend on the Re-branding Nigeria Project that will be in focus in Abuja today, vowed to ensure that the country's glorious image and pride are restored so that its citizens would be treated with honour and dignity worldwide.
She reiterated her determination to ensure that Nigerians get quality telecommunication services for their money and that they are not reaped off.
Akunyili pointed out that not all Nigerians are bad as attested to recently by the United States Ambassador Rob Sanders.
The minister, therefore, canvassed the support of all Nigerians, especially the media and other critical segments of society such as the elite, to ensure the success of the re-branding exercise because "foreigners won't do it for us."
Akunyili added: "We should stop running down ourselves."
