By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Labour Party(LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has lamented the poor remuneration of academics in the nation’s universities
Obi noted that it is disappointing that lecturers are paid pittance while thugs are handsomely rewarded for helping politicians realise their selfish and ulterior intentions.
Obi, also a former Anambra State governor stressed that this development has made lecturing and other professions that thrive on intellectualism unappealing to young Nigerians.
He stressed that our value system is warped as people of questionable characters are held up and celebrated as role models
Obi spoke on Wednesday at the launch of the book: “The Noble Academic and Patriot: A Biography of Emeritus Professor Akinjide Osuntokun,” held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos.
He said, “When the National Universities Commission Secretary-General said they are looking for PhD people to teach in our universities, I called him and said, why do you want anybody to do PhD when you don’t pay them and you pay thugs 100 times what they are paid. We are choosing the least among us to be our role models. And that is destroying our society.”
Obi, also said he had so much to learn from Osuntokun “because if you have taught these wonderful people who spoke about you today (I have a lot to learn from you).”
Also present at the occasion was former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, who eulogised Osuntokun for not only being an accomplished academic, “but also a patriot who was deservedly recognised last year by the prestigious Hallmarks of Labour Foundation, through the conferment of an award with the title HLF on him, which means a role model for our young people in how to achieve success through hard work and integrity.”
Anyaoku recounted how the renowned professor campaigned for him when he was vying for the position of Secretary General at the Commonwealth.
“I first knew of Jide Osuntokun when he was Adviser to Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, General Ike Nwachukwu, and accompanied the Foreign Minister in his journeys to campaign for my candidacy for the office of Commonwealth Secretary-General.
“I was then running against the man who had been the Prime Minister of Australia for seven and a half years.”
Other dignitaries who graced the NIIA venue for the launch included the Wife of the President, Oluremi Tinubu, represented by Senior Special Adviser on Policy, Strategy and Logistics, Wahab Alawiye; Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso; TV anchor and former spokesperson for ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reuben Abati; Chairman of the Editorial Board of Nation Newspapers, Sam Omastseye; the governorship candidate of the LP in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, among a host of others.
