By Kolade Larewaju & Gbenga Akinwunmi
ABEOKUTA—The Chairman, Bi-Courtney PLC, Mr. Wale Babalakin (SAN), weekend, said the Federal Government was working out modalities towards ensuring the provision of a special funding for tertiary institutions.

Babalakin who noted that government alone could no longer fund education, explained that a Presidential Summit, which he chaired, on how to design a special funding systems for tertiary education in the country had just been concluded.

The Chairman of Bi-Courtney spoke at the 13th Convocation of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta where he bagged the fellowship award of the institution  alongside Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, wife of the Ogun State Governor, Yeye Olufunke Daniel, and another businessman; Chief. Jimoh Ibrahim.

According to him: “What we are working out now is how to fund institutions such that our tertiary education will be able to meet with the global standard.”

Just last week we concluded a presidential summit on how to ensure this works out. It is when we come together that we can find solution to the problems confronting the education sector, a country that can is not educated can not develop.”

Chief Jimoh Ibrahim in his own speech at the ceremony   pledged over N50milion to the institution saying that the money would be used to build a Centre to be named after former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

However, a mild drama ensued between the Governor Olugbenga Daniel, the management of the institution and Ibrahim when he demanded from the school the specific project the institution would prefer he sponsored.

The Chairman, MAPOLY Governing Council, Mrs. Laraba Shoda and the Rector, Dr. Tokunbo Fowode, had sought Daniel’s consent to which the governor chose engineering but Ibrahim contended that he would prefer to sponsor a project in the School of Business and management sciences.

He said “I have benefited form the privatization, I will want to do something in business, especially something that will connect me to Ogun State and it will be funded by all my companies with each of them donating N10m each.

The money will be shared and it will not be less, except more than that.
“This time, it will not be in my name nor in the name of the governor but I will build it in the name of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.”, he said.

Governor Oyinlola who was represented at the occasion by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Kazeem Adio, pledged a sum of N5m but dedicated his award to the down trodden.

According to him, “This Award is dedicated to all suffering kids across the world to open our eyes that after all your challenges, something will come at the end of the day.”

Daniel, however, appealed to the concerned authorities to ensure the restructuring of the curriculum being used in institutions in order for it to encourage graduates to be self employed.

“No nation can be great without exploiting opportunities offer by technology, our institutions must strengthen capacity to keep with the changes in the world today’s young children need to be encouraged. Identify new courses, design new curriculum to meet with the request of the world.”