The University of Lagos convocation
ended on Thursday with President
Goodluck Jonathan and his
education minister, Mallam Ibrahim
Shekarau, shunning the three-day
event.
The two also did not send
representatives to the occasion.
Jonathan is the Visitor to the
university.
The President during the
Democracy Day broadcast on May
29, 2013, had changed the name of
the university to the Moshood
Abiola University, an action that
attracted a barrage of criticisms.
The public outrage forced the
Jonathan-led administration to
reverse the name change some
months later.
However, the university’s
2013/2014 convocation, which
began on Tuesday with award of
degrees on 3,104 students, came to
a climax on Thursday with the
conferment of honorary doctorate
degrees on three eminent
Nigerians.
The honourees are former Minister
of Defence, Lt. Gen. Theophilus
Danjuma; renowned technocrat,
Deacon Gamaliel Onosode, and the
General Overseer of The Redeemed
Christian Church of God, Pastor
Enoch Adeboye.
The university also conferred
emeriti professorship on three
retired lecturers of the institution.
The recipients are professors
Olayide Abass, Francis Fajemirokun
and Soga Sofola.
The UNILAG vice-chancellor, Prof.
Rahamon Bello, commended
Jonathan for helping to consolidate
the nation’s democracy.
Bello said, “Your exemplary role in
the elections and particularly at the
end of the presidential election
proved the bookmakers wrong and
elevated the stature of Nigeria in
the comity of nations as a
democracy.”
Jonathan, the VC added, supported
manpower development as well as
university education, especially
with the Needs Assessment
Funding Agreement targeted at
upgrading the infrastructural decay
in the nation’s ivory towers.
Bello, therefore, urged the
President-elect, Muhammadu
Buhari, to consolidate on the gains
of higher education from the
outgoing administration and
entrench the implementation of
the Needs Assessment Funding
programme.
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