Prince Adedayo Adeyeye, former minister of State for Works, has said that the decision of former president Goodluck Jonathan not to comment on the raging probe of the $2.1 billion arms scandal is in order so as to prevent more of the arm-chair trials being conducted by All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.
At the same time, Adeyeye also blamed the poor ranking of Nigerian universities on under-funding, over-reliance on oil income and the changed value system.
Critics of the former President argued that it is not helpful to Jonathan’s interest or the country’s interest if he does not come out boldly to speak on his role and rationale for sharing to his political associates, cronies and hangers-on, among other beneficiaries, the huge fund earmarked for purchasing arms for Nigerian Armed Forces to combat the Boko Haram insurgency.
More so when some of the most powerful aides in his government had made it clear that they were only obeying the command of the Number One citizen to share the arms-purchase fund for his re-election campaign.
Complementarily, the anti-graft agency said the only reason they have not arrested Jonathan yet is because all the Presidential memos they have seen so far to the funds-sharing aides only endorsed arms purchases; none directed the appointees to share the money to top politicians like Christmas gift to corrupt leaders.
The Pro-chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, who spoke at the weekend during EKSU’s Internally Generated Revenues Summit, said it will be wrong for his former principal to speak on matters that are pending in court.
“Though I can’t speak for former president Jonathan on this issue, nobody can force him to speak because that could be sub judice. We should rather allow courts to determine who is guilty or innocent, rather than arm-chair trials being conducted by APC-led Federal Government.”
Decrying the poor state of the Nigerian universities, Adeyeye attributed part of the rot to honorary degrees being awarded to those who do not deserve it, saying such won’t happen again in EKSU.
The former minister, who lauded the EKSU management for conceiving ideas that could help in increasing the revenue base of the university rather than sole dependence on government, said degrees, especially honoris causa, should ordinarily be for people of integrity in the society.
“Many people after getting honorary degrees would make promises to the institution but won’t fulfill it. Our focus won’t be on money again, but your integrity,” he said.
-Leadership