Ekiti monarch condemns high cost of parties’ presidential nomination forms
The Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu-Alagbado, has condemed the high fee for presidential expression of interest and nomination forms.
The monarch said it is the height of insensitivity for the government to allow politicians spend billions of naira on the purchase of nomination forms when the country’s economy is in a very bad shape.
The monarch said the extent to which political elites are obtaining the forms at exorbitant prices across party lines only suggests that they careless about the people’s plight and the wellbeing of the country.
Oba Adu-Alagbado spoke at the Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology, Ikere Ekiti (BOUESTl).
The monarch said such humongous amounts of monies could be used to fight insecurity and revamp the near-collapse of education sector in Nigeria.
He said it was unbelievable that a class of Nigerians could be showcasing obscene wealth in a country where poverty is the common denominator amongst its citizens.
Ogoga said, “Our politicians are buying nomination forms to contest at very high prices and the universities are not well funded, while researches are not being carried out. I believe this is bad and unfair.
“These monies can be used to adequately fund our universities, particularly giving our youth employment through research and innovation. Even, the security crises that we have today were because of our poor value system. We have to change our attitude.
“We must continue to say the truth because we will account for all our deeds. I am challenging this university to be different. We want to be seeing its impacts on this community in terms of development within the next 10 years”.
“We can’t continue to buy things from foreign countries and expect our youth to get jobs. That is the reason why our university must do research, bring out innovations and give to local industries to make or manufacture their products.”
Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, represented by the Education Commissioner, Dr. Bimpe Aderiye, appreciated the community for taking this step to help the university.
Fayemi said: “Last year, the community donated N60 million to the university as a take-off grant out of N500 million they promised to give to the institution.
“This is a communal love that our forefathers had for education. Kabiyesi, this university will run as no one has ever run before. The government and individuals will rise to help the university. We will get results sooner than we ever expected”.
In his response, BOUESTI Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Victor Adeoluwa, appreciated Oba Adu-Alagbado and Ikere Community for seeing the university as their “baby”.
“To let you know that we are striving towards excellence, BOUESTI now has an ICT centre worth N118 million through donations,” he said.