The Vice-Chancellor of Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun state, Professor Jeremiah Oludele Ojediran has condemned the N48billion allocation to education in the 2020 appropriation bill presented by President Muhammadu Buhari to the National Assembly.
The V-C described the allocation to education as not only paltry but also unfortunate, insisting that the budget was a proof that the government was not ready to develop the education sector.
Ojediran, who spoke Thursday at a press conference to herald the university’s 11th convocation ceremony, argued that Nigeria’s attitude towards education, especially vocational and technical education was the bane of the country’s development.
According to him, it is regrettable that education had the lowest allocation out of all the sectors, insisting that no serious country that yearns for development would allocate the lowest share of its budget to education.
He also urged the federal government to revive vocational and technical education if the country must overcome the various economic challenges confronting her.
As part of activities marking the ceremony, Africa’s renowned activist, Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba will deliver the convocation lecture, titled, “Globalisation: Challenges and Impact on the Sustainable Development of Africa” on Thursday, October 31 while the convocation will hold on Saturday, November 2 on the school campus.
Ojediran lamented that the education sector had been “bastardised” and called for the overhaul of the sector, saying: “If the country must move forward, we must have a strong will for the development of human resources.”
Speaking on the convocation, the don disclosed that the university will be graduating 933 students from various departments.
He said 68 of the graduands are first class, 474 second class upper and 328 are second class lower decision.
