A former governor of old Oyo State, Dr Victor Olunloyo, has said he is not very impressed with the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
He made this known in a telephone interview with The Punch after delivering the first research and development public lecture of the Yaba College of Technology at Yaba, Lagos on Thursday.
Olunloyo said, “I am not very impressed because he has been ill much of the time. I am not pleased at all; with somebody who has been holding office since 1962. There is a lot of intimidation and wastage of money.
“Nigeria is in a bad state because of the violence and corruption going on; Boko Haram and unprecedented large sums of money that go into the campaign. Former civil servants buying 200 cars, billboards by the thousands and millions and all sorts of money exchanging hands, people complaining about the presence of certain people in INEC and harassment of judges.
“This thing concerns everybody, particularly young people; the country is left for youths in a state that is worse than they came into it.
Earlier, while speaking on the topic, ‘Mathematics, Science, Technology and Innovations’, Olunloyo had linked Mathematics to all aspects of life, including music and art, as he emphasised the importance of research in achieving development.
He said, “There is Mathematics in music; musician say something and repeat it twice. There is Maths in law, in jurisprudence.
“The substance of the lecture should equally be rightly construed as research and development. The listener or reader must construe these two matters as the role of Mathematics, Science, Technology and Innovation in research and development. All the four items should be construed as a means to an end. Seriously speaking, the development of a nation depends very much on the research of its raw materials and other human and natural resources.”
Olunloyo, who holds the award of Officer of the Order of the Niger, highlighted new and simple ways to solve mathematical equations, as well as how to rapidly arrive at answers to arithmetic problems.
On his part, the Rector of the College, Obafemi Omokungbe, said there could be no technological breakthrough and advancement without research.
He added, “The commencement of the public lecture series is, therefore, a confirmation and continuation of one of the mandates of the college.
“I, therefore, congratulate the Research and Development Committee of the college for taking a step further in this endeavour, particularly at this time of our national downturn and the need for technology-based advancement to serve as a panacea for our economic woes. The lectures will ventilate ideas and concepts of relevance to society, concepts that have reaching implications for development, growth and human existence.”
Also, the Governing Council Chairman, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, who was represented by Mr Jude Eluma, said science, technology and innovation had come to stay while giving his opening remarks.
