Date: 2018-01-29

A former Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Musiliu Smith; the Vice-Chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Prof. Taofeek Ibrahim; and the Vice-Chancellor of Summit University, Prof. Hussein Oloyede, have said that the graduation of a former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, from the National Open University of Nigeria with a doctorate is a challenge to youths.

Smith and Oloyede spoke on Sunday during an interview with journalists on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Alhaja Adiat Makanjuola Lecture Theatre at the Summit University, Offa in the Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State; while Ibrahim spoke in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital on the sidelines of the 13th matriculation of the Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin.

Smith said, "The younger ones should learn a lesson from that (Obasanjo's PhD). Many of us in uniform, they are always training us. Some of us, even as commissioners, went to the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies; we went to the War College. There is no age limit to education.

"It is good that former President Obasanjo has a PhD. He wanted to have it, he worked for it and he got it; so, younger ones should take it as a big challenge."

Similarly, Oloyede said the Obasanjo feat would encourage others, including the aged, to go for further learning.

"It sends a lot of signal to everyone that even if you are old, there is nothing wrong to acquire knowledge if you have the means.

He said the Alhaja Adiat Makanjuola Lecture Theatre at the Summit University would boost the university by attracting more students to the institution.

Ibrahim stated that a total of 690 students, comprising 64 from the Faculty of Education; 243, from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; 126 from the Faculty of Management Sciences, 203 from the Faculty of Natural Sciences and 54 from the Faculty of Law matriculated during the Al-Hikmah's 13th matriculation.

On Obasanjo, Ibrahim said, "His achievement is a great, fantastic feat. It is a boost to national education. It confirms that there is no boundary to seeking knowledge and it also emphasises the importance of a knowledge-based economy is the key thing globally now."