By Fabian Ozor,
Senior Correspondent, Lagos

Shonekan who expressed his displeasure at the presentation of a book titled “Perspectives in university management” edited by Professor Julius Onah, former Vice-Chancellor Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) and his wife, a staff of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos.

He said that the deplorable state of the universities, which has affected teaching and learning, was of the reasons why no Nigerian university was on the ranking list of universities in the world that was recently released.

The former head of state who was represented by Chief Kola Janodu, a former minister, said Nigeria need to get her universities to a position that could be compared with any other universities of the world as well as advance the frontiers of progress in the society.

“It is particularly depressing that no single university in Nigeria made the list in the world university ranking. Because we are in an interdependent world and since it has become clear that improvement in quality of life and overall economic development is today driven by knowledge that is the know how of a nation, we owe it a duty to get our universities to that position where they can begin to advance the frontiers of progress in our society,” he said.

Shonekan was more disturbed that despite the poor situation of the universities, their students have imbibed destructive tendencies on campuses, stating that the events at the University of Lagos and Obafemi Awolowo University are more depressing.

“A situation where students who are future leaders can wantonly destroy infrastructures in their universities to say the least is most depressing. Not only that, it was widely reported that some students attempt assaulting their teachers and administrators”, he said.

He appealed that the situation should not continue but must change for better for the interest of the nation.

On the book, he said though it chronicled the things the author did while he was Vice-Chancellor at ESUT, it must be acknowledged that the vision, ideas and perceptions canvassed are relevant and needed today by university administrators.

Shonekan called on managers of tertiary institutions to imbibe some of the ideas canvassed in the book.

He said that ESUT broke a lot of grounds in research and developments as well as linkages with the business communities, culminating in the establishment the ESUT business communities.