Ben Dunno, Warri
Renowned scholar and foremost Kenya’s social critic, Prof. Patrick Lumumba, has called on Africans both at home and in the diaspora to take advantage of their educational attainment and level of exposure to correct the wrong mentally with which the colonial masters have brainwashed the continent.
Prof. Lumumba made the appeal in a lecture titled; “Whither Education in Africa”, delivered at the weekend during the 30th Anniversary and 14th Convocation ceremony of the Delta State University, Abraka, Ethipe East Local Government area of Delta state.
He noted that before the coming of Europeans, Africans had their religion, culture and tradition, had its way of local administration and government, educational methods and mode of dressing, as well as values and norms that guided their daily lives until the colonial masters infiltrated the continent and changed these perceptions to suit their selfish interest.
While admitting that even though it had been established that no matter how rich we are as people we can not buy the past, Prof. Lumumba said it is not however late for Africa to stay focus in re-tracing their steps and make necessary corrections that would bring about the future we all craved as a continent.
He canvased the need for African to begin to appreciate and be proud of the talents they have by using them to solve the very many challenges presently confronted the continent, adding that no foreigner in any part of the world can love Africa more than Africans themselves.
Prof Lumumba who called for a radical changes in our ways of doing things to reflect the African in us, noted the best way to start would be to stop the importation of goods and services we do not need from Europe and other parts of the world, inorder to encourage the growth of our local production.
The erudite academician however assured that a bright future lies ahead of the African continent and urged Africans not to relent in their quest of acquiring quality education.
According to him; “As Africans, we should put off low esteem and be proud of the things that we do in Africa. We should be proud of the talents we have produced at Delta State University Abraka and use them in solving some of our problems in Abraka, Delta State, and Nigeria at large”.
“As Africans, we should learn to consume what we cultivate than depending on consuming imported foods. It’s the right time for us Africans to rely on African talents to solve some of the problems we have here in Africa”.
“But if we continue to worry about Africa, we will continue to make mistakes of giving up. We must remember the efforts of our past heroes of Nigeria who fought for the independence of Nigeria to liberate us from the slavery of the colonial masters and changed the continent of Africa through Education”.
Prof. Lumumba submitted that “Delta State University at 30 has made enormous contributions to the development of Abraka, Delta, Nigeria, and Africa”.
He said, “As we celebrate Delta State University Abraka’s 30 years of existence and some of the notable achievements of the university over the past years. It is time we re-energize and put on more efforts to contribute your quota to the development of Africa.”
“We must remain focused as a people and be more united in achieving our purpose so that at the end we can collectively be proud to tell ourselves that we came, we saw and we conquered, he concluded.
On his part, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Andy Ogochukwu Egwunyenga, commended Lumumba for honouring DELSU’s invitation to deliver the convocation lecture.
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