Avoid western exploitation, stop running abroad, ex-VP tells youths

From Lateef Dada, Osogbo

The former Vice-Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Professor Dapo Asaju, has cautioned the youths against running away from the country in the name of looking for greener pastures.

He stated that some youths have fallen for Western exploitation in the name of pursuing education abroad.

Delivering a convocation lecture at Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State on Wednesday tagged ‘Transformative Economy and Japa Syndrome in Nigeria’ Prof Asaju stated that japa is self-exportation which is synonymous with self-slavery, warning that, “it is a way of wiping out gradually the middle class.”

He said, “The first slavery of Africans was when they were forcefully shipped across the Atlantic by white slate traders who enslaved them like animals, the second wave of slavery was during the period of colonialism, following the Berlin conference of 1845 and the third is which is worst form is when African country has come of age to extent that they have started to train their indigenous professionals and educated elite but who are forced by unpleasant circumstances to willing and cheaply sell themselves to serve western countries; many, for pittance doing menial jobs.

“On another hand are exploitative educational enticement of Africans who are encouraged to pay high fees to obtain a master’s degree from British Universities just because they would have the opportunity to do some hours of menial jobs and stay as residents after some years. They pay N16 million per year to earn a master’s degree,” he said.

Noting that he resisted the pressure mounted on him to establish a College of Medicine during his tenure as VC because the majority of Colleges of Medicine in Nigeria were heavily funded with taxpayers’ money and ended up producing doctors and nurses for international societies.

“Nigerians should be wary of paying heavily so schools in the Western world because certificates acquired outside Nigeria are not superior to certificates from Nigerian varsities,” he added.