Ahead of the 2019 general elections, Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, yesterday, asked the youths in the country to mobilise themselves and vote out old and failed political leaders.
Soyinka spoke with newsmen after delivering the second convocation lecture of Elizade University, Ilara Mokin in Ondo state entitled: ‘Tending the Tree of Commencement.’ He said: “All I can just tell you is this: Don’t make the mistake of following those who failed you before. “Do not follow those who are pretending that they have nothing to do with the disaster that has overtaken Nigeria.
They are very quick to smell failure, they are very quick to shout it; but then, they exculpate themselves, whereas they are the founding malfeasance of the Nigerian condition. “That is what I am warning the youths against. Mobilize, get your representatives and stop bothering geriatrics like myself.” He, however, lamented the scrapping of history studies in schools across the country and the fact that many people have forgotten their historical background.
Chairman of the convocation lecture and a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Prof Ayo Banjo said: “The country must pay attention to the training of teachers. Teaching is difficult today, if the teachers are not well paid, they will be looking for something else to do.
If you want education to improve in Nigeria, there should be more funding, more money to provide a conducive environment. “There is a need for more money to train teachers and for them to remain in the service. You cannot get good service without money; if we improve the environment and the quality of teaching, we will continue to move forward.”
