Former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said that Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gunpowder with the current level of unemployment in the country.
While speaking at the 16th and 17th convocation of the Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Obasanjo advised the students to find a way to survive because the federal and state government needs to take urgent steps to curb umeployment.
He said “If there is no job for the unemployed to feed themselves and also to contribute to the development of the country then, we will all be sitting on a keg of gun powder.
“We should be able to break the cycle of poverty, through job and wealth creations. We can achieve this at both the federal, state, local, family and individual levels.
“We must all see education as a tool for making positive contributions to our country. But, if after your education, there is no job, you must be able to think outside the box positively, that is one advantage education has provided for you and not making you a tool for evil machinations.”
Obasanjo who was conferred with an honorary degree in political science commended the Ogun State government for taking up the initiative to establish the first University of Education in Nigeria.
He said “The idea of creating a university of education in Nigeria came up 12 years ago, when I was the President of the country. I had thought that if we could have specialised universities for agriculture, specialised universities for science and technology, why not for education? Why can we not have a university designated for education?
“At that time at the federal level, four Colleges of Education, which belong to the Federal Government would have been turned into universities of education. They include the Adeyemi College of Education in Ondo, Ivan Ikoku College of Education, one in Kano and I think the other in Zaria. We were ready to go (well, why we could not go, Peter Okebukola is here, you can ask him and he will tell you).
“Well, the Ogun State government took this initiative and behold, we had the first University of Education in Ogun State. Mr. Governor, please help us to thank your predecessor for this.”