To unveil Omoluabi ambassadors
Ondo State Government has lauded the Federal Government for its move to implement the Nigeria Education Repository and Databank (NERD) programme, describing it as a transformative and decisive step against endemic corruption within the education sector.
The state’s Commissioner for Education, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, who lauded the move while speaking with newsmen in Akure, stressed that with the activation of NERD after years of delay, the development is one of the best things to happen to the education sector since the return to democracy in 1999.
Ajibefun, a former Vice-Chancellor (VC) of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, commended President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, over what he described as a demonstration of courage, as well as a keen understanding of the corruptive nature of certificate racketeering.
He added that Ondo State would be one of the first to fully align with such a positive and transformative initiative.
The former VC, who urged academics in the country to key into NERD’s potential, said the initiative has the capacity to end certificate racketeering, usher in transparency for research documentation, promote indigenous governance of the research space, and unify academic credential verification.
He said: “The nation speaks about corruption. But corruption includes academic fraud. Corruption includes unearned honour and the unmerited advantages that such fake honours confer. I believe we have simply passed the stage of just talking. We have reached the stage of action.
“Ondo State government will be working with its post-secondary schools and tertiary institutions to ensure that they key into this national revival and conform to all compliance requirements. We have made contact with the management of NERD. So, we will be keying into this initiative.”
The commissioner, who described the move as a game-changer, lauded the Tinubu-led administration on the establishment of the National Publication Index, stating that “for over a century, Elsevier and other European and American academic publishers defined the agenda and direction of academic publications. They birthed elite indexing platforms, such as SCOPUS.
Meanwhile, the state government has said that it is set to launch the Omoluabi Ambassadors initiative to promote ethical values and inclusive governance.
This was contained in a statement, yesterday, by the Information Manager, Office of the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Abiodun Omotoso.
The commissioner, Idowu Ajanaku, said that exceptional indigenes of Ondo State would be recognised as role models in various fields.
The initiative, according to him, will be part of a broader campaign against social vices, as well as engaging market women, students, religious leaders, traditional rulers, NGOs, and civil servants to foster a moral rebirth statewide.
He, however, confirmed that the state government had approved the purchase of a state-of-the-art TV transmitter for OSRC Television to improve its signal reach and coverage.
This development, he noted, would fast-track the process of getting the station on DSTV, which remains one of the major targets of the current administration.
