Acceptance Speech at the 15th Convocation Ceremony of the University of Calabar,
December 21, 1996

Let me begin my address by giving thanks to God, to whom all praise is due, and who made everything today possible. I pray to Him to guide what we do today and always. It is a privilege and a great pleasure to be associated with the fifteenth convocation ceremony of the University of Calabar as a recipient of an honorary doctorate degree. On behalf of the honorary and other graduands I would like to thank the authorities and community of the university for conferring this honour on us. It is an honour we cherish and responsibility we accept. And we intend to discharge it to the best of our abilities. We are now part and parcel of this university in this strategically located ancient city so full of history and promise. It is therefore now our right to share in the glory of this great city. Whether it is through its neighbourhood to the nation’s nascent Export Processing Zone (EPZ) or its growing importance as a port – or hopefully, as a centre of excellence in the dissemination of knowledge, Calabar is a place to be reckoned with. What is more, Calabar is a gateway to and guardian of our south-eastern front. It should be noted that I am already a recipient of an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi. This certainly is an honour I particularly cherish, and which I shared with and received on behalf of all those who share the attributes the university saw in us and which it sought to honour.

I receive today’s honorary Doctor of Literary Arts of the University of Calabar in the same spirit – the spirit of hope in the survival and prosperity of our country. Times are difficult, even desperate, but not hopeless. Concern for accountability is taking root. The credit, of course, goes to government for its efforts through its decree on failed banks, the ones promised on parastatals and failed contracts, the decree on drugs law enforcement and the coordinated onslaught against advance fee fraudsters. While these may have sanitised the economic front there is an urgent need to introduce measures to ease the difficulties of day-to-day existence faced by the ordinary man.

On the political front, we will very shortly witness elections into local government councils nationwide. This will be the first election to be contested on party platform in the current transition programme. However, as we enter into more crucial stages thee is need for government to distance itself from self-serving sycophants, and, at every stage, take the people of this country into confidence.

We must at all times remember that we still face a hostile economic and diplomatic environment on the world scene. Mr. Chancellor, simultaneous with the external battle being fought by the government, equally important ones are being waged at home. Taking the area of immediate interest to our university community – education – it is painful to have to admit that we face very heavy odds in the battle for education. At all levels.

Since my arrival for this occasion, I have taken time to go round this campus and I am sad to say it does not provide an exception to what I have been told of our campuses. It is plagued by the same problems, littered by the same dilapidated infrastructure and inhabited by the same demoralised Nigerians. Today, without exception the infrastructural facilities in most of our universities have collapsed, the commitment of the university community to the future of study and research has evaporated; and, as a result, the quality of university products has fallen drastically. Indeed, it has never been lower. We may have reached a stage where we have more universities than our purse can maintain.

No doubt, the government is not unaware of the conditions of our country’s infrastructure, including those at schools and institutions of higher learning. Specifically, the setting up of the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund (PTF) is aimed at addressing this national problem. Mr. Chancellor, some of those attending this investiture today would perhaps like me to say a few words about the PTF.

As you may be aware, following the increase in the price of petroleum products in 1995, the PTF was set up to utilise the funds generated to intervene in seven selected areas. These are:
· Roads, Road Transportation and Waterways
· Education
· Food Supply
· Water Supply
· Health
· Security Services, and
· Other Projects

Since its inauguration in March 1995, the Fund has been inundated with requests. Demands for the Fund’s attention have been received from federal ministries, federal agencies, states, their parastatals and local governments, and the Federal Capital Territory. Submissions have been made by individuals, by groups, by corporate bodies, by organisations and associations of various descriptions.

Following an elaborate and painstaking selection process, the PTF prioritised the submissions. It swung into action with work starting earlier in the year with its take-off projects. Because of the urgency of the situation and the importance of these three sectors, the take-off projects were restricted to the rehabilitation in some selected water projects, and the provision of essential drugs. These are the projects currently going on nationwide – and they are only the beginning. All parts of the country and all sectors will be assisted without bias, without discrimination.

So far, work is progressing on more than 12,000 kilometres of highways and urban roads. Work has already begun on the rehabilitation of Ikoyi waterworks, Victoria Island-1004 Quarters, water supply and Joda-Gezawa water supply in Kano. Work in all cases is progressing smoothly. On Monday this week, we launched the PTF Essential Drugs Programme in Kano. The launching signals the kick-off of the provision of essential drugs nationwide. Earlier in the year we placed an order worth more than 1.3 billion naira, the bulk of which was given to local manufacturers in order to stimulate growth in the economy and make essential drugs readily available. These have been delivered to almost all the designated points, and the productive sector of the economy has been given a shot in the arm. Supply to medical stores in all states commenced at the beginning of this quarter, and with this launching, sales will commence shortly at these stores and selected pharmaceutical outlets all over the country. Already, the second batch of orders for drugs has been given out. The Essential Drug Programme is a revolving one that will be repeated every quarter. We shall watch developments with a view to improving implementation of the scheme.

In all the other four remaining sectors, consultancy work has almost been finalised, and intervention will commence in earnest shortly. A fortnight ago a series of consultative meetings was held between the Fund, officials of beneficiary federal ministries, states and local government and the Fund’s appointed consultants. Already, the criteria for intervention has been carefully laid out and agreed. PTF is poised to carry out comprehensive rehabilitation of health institutions nationwide.

Specifically, the Fund will rehabilitate one general hospital per senatorial district, one primary health centre or comprehensive health centre per local government in all the states of the federation. In addition, the Fund will rehabilitate all federal government specialist and teaching hospitals; but for states without one the PTF will select one of the state hospitals for comprehensive rehabilitation instead. Coming back to education, which is our main area of concern this morning, there is no doubt that government has over the years committed enormous resources to this sector.

Right now, as part of government effort, the PTF is about to begin the rehabilitation of infrastructure in educational institutions, including universities all over the country. Specifically, PTF will rehabilitate two primary schools in each local government in the country; it will rehabilitate one secondary per senatorial district and an institution of higher learning per state.

But clearly what the PTF can do is limited. It cannot do everything; it cannot even do most of the things all the institutions need. It can only make a start and hope that the collective will of Nigerians to look after their interests will persuade future governments to properly maintain our institutions.

Mr. Chancellor, I am sure you will agree with me that even if funding requirements are met, grave problems still remain; and these can only be solved by the authorities of the institutions themselves. Tragedies like the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities which has now ended must not be allowed to happen again if any semblance of standards are to be maintained in our universities.

In addition, at the very least, the university system must be able to guarantee security of life and property on campus. The phenomenon of cult violence and cult-related crimes must therefore be stamped out from all our campuses for good. We must all work together to create a conducive atmosphere on our campuses for the dissemination of knowledge. But we will succeed only if we try.

Mr. Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for your patience and attention.