By Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
Apparently moved by the suffering of workers of the Ekiti State University, EKSU Ado Ekiti, since the sudden removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Edward Olanipekun has devised a means to cushion the effects.
The Vice Chancellor who made the disclosure at the 75th inaugural lecture of the university delivered by Professor Awe Ariyo, in the university auditorium noted that he was moved by the plight of his workers and had to provide free buses to take them to the university and return them later after the day’s work.
“I really feel for my people, I reasoned how much they will spend in a month on transportation, if EKSU/ iworoko is now N40 per drop, I multiplied this by 2 for to and fro and multiplied it by 30 days in a month, I realized if nothing is done now, my workers may not have meaningful take home at the end of the month.
“So that is why I quickly made provision for 3 buses to convey them every day for free. By the end of this Month, I will add another 2 buses to the fleet. This will cushion the fuel hike due to the fuel subsidy removed by the federal government”. Olanipekun added.
The inaugural lecture on his own recommended modern technology, as a panacea to Food Security. He explained that the government can only enhance food security in the country, if it adopts modern technology in the supply of farm inputs, equipment and facilities.
The University Lecturer explained that the planned subsidy policy of President Bola Tinubu-led government must cut across the various sub-sectors of the agricultural programmes.
Ariyo spoke in Ado-Ekiti at the weekend while delivering the 75th inaugural lecture at Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
The Professor of Development Economics lamented selective subsidies on farm inputs granted by the Federal Government. These subsidies were intended to reduce food production costs in the country over the years.
The lecturer suggested that the proposed subsidy by the Federal Government should cover seeds, seedlings, water supply, fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, processing and storage equipment as well as irrigation facilities such as dams and borehole construction and sprayers among others.
Other areas mentioned by him include farm machinery and equipment such as clearing machines, agricultural extension services, pest and disease control, slaughter houses and abattoirs for meat processing, veterinary drugs and services for animals.
Speaking on the topic of the lecture entitled: “Sustainable Development And You”, Professor Ariyo described economic development as a sustainable improvement in living standards that encompasses materials, consumption, education and environmental protection.
Describing Economic Development as growth accompanied by positive change in all spheres of life and expansion in the productive capacity of an economy and sustainability, quantitative increase in the country’s per capital output or income accompanied by expansion in its labour force.
Speaking further on the topic, the professor explained that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 as part of the resolution aimed at transforming the world.
He explained that the SDG covers social and economic development issues. These include poverty, hunger, health, education, global warming, gender equality, water and sanitation, energy, urbanization, the environment and social justice.
In addition to increasing awareness and integrating the SDGs into government plans and policies, the Senior Lecturer suggested how the country could achieve the SDGs.
He explained that the government must make efforts to take care of social services with basic education, functional health care, employment for youths, clean water, security of life and property as well as access to quality infrastructures.
The Professor of Development Economics also suggested that youths must be at the heart of engagements to act as a bridge between the older and younger generations. This is at the state and local government levels.
Other suggestions mentioned by him are the need for the promotion of small and medium scale enterprises through the provision of software, energy infrastructure and an enabling environment coupled with the promotion of indigenous goods and services.
He urged the government to strive to achieve equity in social issues which include education, health, politics and social infrastructures.
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