Former Vice President and Founder, American University of Nigeria (AUN), Atiku Abubakar, has asked the Federal Government not to abdicate its responsibility of providing qualitative and affordable education for its citizenry. It is only through such way, he added, that the country would have a comparative advantage among its peers.
Speaking at the grand finale of the Ninth Founder’s Day celebration of the decade old citadel for Africa development at the Lamido Aliyu Musdafa Commencement Hall of AUN in Yola today, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential hopeful, told the assembly of global eggheads and other guests in the university’s ultra modern auditorium that “private education is not, should not and cannot be a substitute for proper government-financed public education.
“Rather, private education should be supplementary and by choice for those who wish to and can afford to use its services.”
Atiku said that a good government must and should invest appropriately in public education for development to take root in the country.
He recalled however that education in Nigeria started by private efforts, since the early schools were established and ran by colonial missionaries.
Atiku was conferred with the Institution’s prestigious Harris Watford Global Citizen Award, during which time the American Peace Corps Association described him as “no private businessman in Africa has worked harder for democracy or contributed more to the progress of higher education than Atiku Abubakar.”
In her own remarks, President of AUN, Professor Margee Ensign, said that the purpose of the annual Founder’s Day is to celebrate the founding, development and remarkable progress of the development university.
“AUN is a reflection of our Founder’s vision, and it has only been made possible by his extra-ordinary generosity. The AUN Community is particularly pleased to use this occasion to publicly thank its Founder, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, for making American University of Nigeria possible.”
This year’s grand ceremony was marked with colourful procession, reflective speeches on the consequences of insurgency in the North East and the threat of Ebola as well as the achievement awards to deserving students, staff and outstanding friends of the university.
Among the Special guests in attendance were Professor William Ellis Bertrand (keynote speaker), former minister of education and Director-General of Atiku Campaign, Professor Babalola Aborishade; Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah and elder statesman, Otunba Oyewole Fasawe who is an age-long friend of the founder. [myad]
