Former Head of Federal Civil Service, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi making salient points as the Chairman of the 2012/2013 Commencement Lecture, held recently.
The immediate past Head of Federal Civil Service, Professor Oladapo Afolabi has described mentoring as a “big vacuum” in the country’s leadership and national life, at large.
He stated this at the University’s maiden edition of Commencement Lecture for the 2012/2013 Academic Session, held on Wednesday at Professor Mahmood Yakubu Lecture Theatre.
Professor Afolabi, who was the Chairman of the Lecture lamented that, “We have forgotten about mentoring almost completely”.
He observed that “In the system that we are copying, the person who will become the next President of America (USA), may be in another sixty years, is being mentored right now”.
Professor Afolabi frowned that “Here (Nigeria) the situation is as occasion permits. Therefore, I’m quite happy that this is the kind of topic you have selected and you have the right person (former Speaker, Dimeji Bankole) to really come in to deliver it”.
Exploring the meaning of the occasion, “Commencement Lecture”, the former Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education said “in simple English, it means starting something”.
He explained, “For those of you who are just coming into the University and even for those of you who will be ending; I see it as commencement to phase 2 of your life”.
The Chairman of the occasion expatiated, “There are three phases in life. Phase one is when you are born. In this Phase you play no part. Phase three is when you die, in this Phase, you have no choice”.
“Phase two is between when you are born and when you die. This is a major phase. This is where and when you get married. It means you are now an adult as a man and woman”, he added.
Speaking further, Professor Afolabi admonished the students and Nigerian youths in general that “This is the time to commence your Phase two and this is time for you to be mentored. Let me emphasize that you need to lay very solid foundation to get into Phase two”.
Professor Afolabi who used the occasion to commend Hon. Bankole for his commitment to stability of government and peace in his father’s land while in office, recalled how the former Lawmaker, while he was the Speaker of the House of Representatives worked underground with him towards amicable resolution of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) crisis, at the time.
The former Head of Service spoke before dignitaries, which include a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Ogun State and Chief of Staff to former Governor Gbenga Daniel, Mr. Kayode Samuel and the President, Nigeria Guild of Editors and Managing Director and Editor-In-Chief of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Gbenga Adefaye.