We need professionals to tackle deficiencies in education sector- Former Gov, Oyinlola

A former governor of Osun State, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has called for the engagement of professionals with the capacity to tackle deficiencies in Nigeria’s educational policies.

Oyinlola also insisted that Nigeria does not make use of its rich abundance of professionals when the need arises.

The former Governor made this assertion during the unveiling of the Alolade Oyinlola College of Health Sciences and Information Technology located in Okuku, Osun State on Friday.

Addressing journalists at the event, Oyinlola, who is the proprietor of the institution, said the vision of the school was to promote wellness, quality, and ethical practices through excellence in education, service, and community engagement.

Citing an example of how the Osun State University, UNIOSUN, was established, Oyinlola said, “UNIOSUN ran without government intervention or shutting down because we made a law that the local government should contribute 10 percent of its monthly allocation to the university for ten years.

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“If we want to run education in the proper perspective, all we need to do is gather the professionals to give a template and it will be done. It seems we do neglect our own eggheads and these are the same people performing wonders outside our country.”

Remarking, a former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof Peter Okebukola insisted that every certificate is relevant as there was no difference between a Degree, Diploma or Certificate.

Calling for a reorientation on the value placed on certificates from higher institutions in the country, Okebukola, who is the chairman of the implementation committee of the college urged Nigerians to pay attention to the value a certificate holder could add, rather than the type of certificate being held.

“Every certificate is relevant. Most developed societies place value on the service rendered more than certificates. The way forward is for us to reverse that trend one certificate is better than the others. We need a reorientation of our recognition system for certificates.”

Corroborating Okebukola, Prof Eyitayo Ogunmodede, a former Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, agreed that certificates tend to be relevant in Nigeria because remuneration is not based on productivity.

Prof Ogunmodede while insisting that there was a need for engagements of products of technical education, maintained that no leader with an understanding of education would establish a university and then derecognise other institutions.

“Nobody exposed to education can say the Polytechnics and colleges of education are not relevant. Certificates tend not to be relevant in this country because remuneration is not based on productivity.

“It looks like everybody is getting money from what we realise from oil and so whether you go to work or not, you get paid at the end of the month. If the government starts to remunerate people based on their productivity, you will discover that certificates will be much more relevant than some of those on parade today.”