The former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr Yakubu Dogara, says President Bola Tinubu is a leader prepared to lead with courage even at a personal cost considering his tax reforms stand.
Dogara stated this at the 14th convocation and 17th Founders Anniversary of the Achievers University, Owo in Ondo State.
The former speaker said that any transformation leader must be brave, stating that a good leader must not just allow history to happen but make it.
According to him, the lack of good leadership plunged the country into its current state of mess.
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“ With what President Bola Tinubu has done, whether it’s the freeing of local government areas from the choke-hold of economic stagnation the states had hitherto subjected them to or the groundbreaking bold tax reforms proposals he had placed before the National Assembly, I see a glimmer of hope that we may be dealing with a leader who is prepared to lead with unbridled courage even at personal cost.
“ It gladdens my heart that we are now dealing with a leader who is not avoiding stubborn tasks and very much unwilling to put off difficult conversations.
“ With him, courage has become a habit and that habit has the power to transform our leadership as the miracles we are desperately yearning for may well lie in the tasks and difficult conversations we are avoiding.
“ I support president’s tax reforms not because they are perfect, but because it is the right thing to do.
“ However, I must concede the fact that those opposed to it have the right to do so.
“But I do not share their jaundiced nay tenuous and puerile position that because they disagree with some aspects of the reforms, then the reforms must be withdrawn or killed,
“ Leaders who are dedicated to reforms and progress don’t make such poor judgement calls, at all,” he said.
Dogara said that those that are opposed to the reforms should clearly spell out what they are disagreeing with and make better proposition than that of the president for Nigerians to compare and contrast in order to make informed choices.
The former speaker, who is the Chancellor of the Achievers University, said that a call to do nothing about the reforms was either bad politics or sheer buffoonery or a combination of both.
According to him, addressing Nigeria’s economic challenges requires bold, decisive and coordinated actions across multiple fronts.
He said that achieving the vision of desired transformation would demand sacrifices, accountability and collective resolve from all Nigerians .
The chancellor called the youths to be at the centre of transformation, stressing “through education, innovations and a shared commitment to excellence, we can build a Nigeria that fulfils the aspirations of its people.”
Dogara, therefore, tasked Nigerian universities to be centres of learning and innovation that would come out with practical solutions to the country’s economic problems.
He said that universities must partner with industries and government to ensure that the knowledge generated have real-world applications.
Also speaking, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Achievers University, Dr Bode Ayorinde, called on the graduands not to wait for opportunities, but create them.
He said that the future of Nigeria depended on their ability to dream big and act decisively.
The pro-chancellor urged the Nigerian government to embark on massive industrialisation.
“ The great nations of the world achieved their status as trillion dollar economies by harnessing the power of industrialisation.
“ It is industrialisation that creates jobs, drives innovation, generates wealth, reduces crime and insecurity and fosters societal stability.
“To achieve this, we need to develop industries that process our raw materials locally, create value-added products, reduce import dependency and boost exports.
“This requires a collaborative effort from the government, private sector and institutions like the Achievers University
“ We need to create an enabling environment that encourages entrepreneurship, innovation, and investment in key sectors.
“ We are committed to producing graduates who are equipped with the skills, knowledge and values necessary to succeed in the industrial economy,” he said.
In her speech, the Vice Chancellor of the Achievers University, Prof. Omolola Orinoye, said that 700 graduates were awarded degree certificate with 71 students graduating with First Class Honours.
Orinoye said that 303 students had Second Class Honours (Upper Division) and 243 graduated with Second Class Honours ( Lower Division) while 35 had Third Class Honours.
The vice chancellor said that 46 postgraduate students in 17 different academic programmes would receive their certificate awards.
The vice chancellor said that no fewer than 319 students had benefitted from its 12-tuition-free academic programmes.
She stated that the gesture was in pursuance of the institution’s philosophy of promoting access to higher education to young people who might be denied the opportunity for lack of huge resources.
The vice chancellor said that the institution’s Governing Council had also approved the granting of 65 per cent to 80 per cent tuition scholarship for UTME and Direct Entry candidates in 20 other academic programmes.
Three Nigerian personalities: Gov. Umar Bago of Niger State, Oba Adedokun Abolarin, Orangun of Oke Ila, Osun State and Dr Fidelis Ayebae, were given doctoral honorary award for their outstanding contributions to the Nigerian society. NAN