Why Jonathan, Shekarau shun UNILAG convocation

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.