HONOUR HAS TAKEN FLIGHT FROM NIGERIA -DON

A former Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Prof. Wale Omole, has decried the high level of dishonour in the country, declaring that honour was now alien to Nigeria.

He spoke in Lagos at a zonal training for master trainers held under the auspices of the Yoruba Education Trust Fund (YETFUND).

According to the former academic, who is also on the board of the Foundation, it was pitiable that the country was at its lowest ebb as a result of the development. This, he said, was the reason why he narrowly rejected the national honour, Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) award bestowed on him by the late former president, Alhaji Umar Yar'Adua.

He stressed that had it not been that he had known the former Nigerian leader long before his Presidency, and the fact that he received a personal mail from him, he would have rejected the award. Omole, who also lamented the Yorubas declining values, regretted that the scenario was fast making the race to lag behind.

According to him, long before the colonial era, the South-west region cherished omoluabi spirit which was build around honesty and integrity. This, the former Obafemi Awolowo University vice chancellor said, was major reason for the osomalo concept, where giving out of credit was done without any form of collateral in Ijeshaland.

However, he said YETFUND would strive to bring back these ideals using different strategies, especially the re-introduction of Yoruba Language as a medium of teaching and learning in schools.