By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

Nigeria needs more public-spirited citizens who can place national interest above personal considerations, the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, Arc Sonny Echono, has said.

Echono made the call in Ilorin on Monday while chairing the University of Ilorin, UNILORIN Homecoming Celebration and Investiture Ceremony, where Professor Emeritus Is-haq Oloyede and 30 other distinguished Nigerians were honoured for their contributions to education, humanity, national development and the growth of the institution.

Speaking against the backdrop of Oloyede’s recognition, Echono said the former Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB Registrar represented the kind of integrity, courage, compassion and commitment to service that Nigeria desperately needed.

He said the country must deliberately celebrate men and women who had distinguished themselves in service, arguing that public recognition of excellence could inspire others, particularly younger Nigerians, to pursue lives of impact.

“We don’t tend to celebrate the right people enough. Our celebrations are often full of funerals, birthdays and burials. But when you celebrate individuals, you give them the impetus to do more.

“More importantly, you encourage others to emulate them so that they can also be celebrated,” he said.

Echono described Oloyede as a man who had spent his entire adult life demonstrating “hard work, integrity, courage, compassion and commitment to service,” adding that his legacy went beyond his achievements in academia and public administration.

He particularly highlighted Oloyede’s role in the fight against examination malpractice during his tenure as JAMB Registrar, describing his decision to confront entrenched examination malpractice networks as an example of courage in public office.

According to Echono, the battle was far from easy because those involved in examination malpractice operated powerful networks across the country and were capable of issuing threats to those who challenged their activities.

He recalled that he personally participated in operations aimed at investigating and dismantling the networks, including an exercise where suspects arrested from various parts of the country were interrogated to uncover those coordinating the illicit activities.

Echono said the intelligence gathered from the exercise provided valuable information that strengthened efforts to clean up Nigeria’s examination system.

He also praised Oloyede’s commitment to ensuring that persons with disabilities were not excluded from educational opportunities.

According to him, Oloyede’s interventions at JAMB extended beyond providing facilities for candidates with hearing and visual impairments to supporting organisations involved in preparing persons with disabilities for tertiary education.

“Today in our universities, I understand JAMB even instituted an award for institutions who admit students with disabilities. Nigeria will remain grateful to you, sir,” Echono said.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, described Oloyede as a worthy product and ambassador of the university whose academic accomplishments, administrative leadership and national service had brought immense honour to the institution.

Egbewole said the establishment of a professorial chair in Oloyede’s honour was a fitting tribute to his contributions to scholarship, leadership and the development of the university.

He appealed to stakeholders and guests to support the N250 million endowment established in his honour, describing Oloyede as a disciplined and courageous scholar and an “uncommon Better by Far Ambassador.”

The vice-chancellor also charged the award recipients to translate their recognition into tangible contributions to the university.

He urged recipients of the Awards of Excellence to identify projects they could execute, while distinguished alumni were encouraged to jointly identify and fund projects that would bear their names.

Similarly, he called on the Unilorin Ambassadors to collectively support a project for the institution, expressing optimism that the projects would be completed before the next edition of the honours programme.

The ceremony also featured the homecoming of Oloyede, alongside the investiture of Awards of Excellence, Distinguished Alumni and Unilorin Ambassadors on 30 other Nigerians recognised for their contributions to education, humanity, national development and the growth of the university.