Unilag MC Oluomo – speaks on ‘invitation’ of MC Oluomo to university event unilag.com.ng

The University of Lagos has responded to criticisms trailing the invitation of Musliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, to an event at the university.

MC Oluomo, who is the Lagos State Caretaker Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), was invited as a Special Guest at the colloquium organised by the National Association of Geography Students (NAGS) on Tuesday.

A picture of the event’s banner, which had a picture of Mr Akinsanya as well as other invited guests, stirred the controversies.

While some saw the invitation as a dent on scholarship because of the political thuggery associated with Mr Akinsanya and the NURTW, others saw it as an opportunity for the students to learn from his expertise.

Kemi Ariyo @d_problem solver stated that “MC Oluomo has no business in this kind of gathering.”

“…Unilag just proved to us that education is a waste of time.”

Nigeria education is totally messed up.

Disagreeing, Wale Adetona @islimfit posted; “I don’t see anything wrong in UNILAG inviting MC Oluomo to come speak at an event organised by their transport department. Mc Oluomo is educated in his field.”

These views summarised the two poles of the discussion on the issue.

Meanwhile, in the school’s reaction, it was stated that Mr Akinsaya was not eventually invited neither did he attend the event.

UNILAG’s justification

In a rejoinder to “Nigerians React as MC Oluomo is Invited as a Special Guest
at an Event inside the University of Lagos”, the authorities noted that MC Oluomo was invited for his expertise.

The release, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, was signed by Taiwo Oloyede, the Principal Assistant Registrar of the school

“The Management of the University of Lagos hereby notifies parents, guardians and other stakeholders of the University that it is aware of the event to which the Lagos State Caretaker Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Musliu Akinsanya, was allegedly invited.”

“The event was a Colloquium on Transport Efficiency: Employing Lagos Terrain Alternatives organised by the National Association of Geography Students (NAGS) an Tuesday, September 17, 2019. Relevant stakeholders in the transport sector invited to the event were: Arc. Abiodun Dabiri, MD, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) Engr. Ibrahim Alhassan, Chairman, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Dr. Olusegun Spencer, Director, Amalgamated Mega-City Transport: Mr. Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, MD, Lagos Waterways Authority: Dr. Adewale Sanni, Station Manager Lufthansa and Dr. Charles Asenime, LASU School of Transport, PG Coordinator,” the rejoinder read in part.

The school asserted that although MC Oluomo was one of those to be invited, which informed the draft banner with his picture, the approved banner did not have him as an invited guest, neither did he attend the event

“For the record, events are organised on campus to expose students to current trends in the academia and Industries. During such events, experts and relevant stakeholders with considerable knowledge and experience on the theme of such activities are carefully selected and invited to come and share their thoughts with our students. The goal is to produce students that are locally relevant and globally competitive, ” the school defended.

The authorities, however, urged the general public to disregard “any propaganda making the rounds on social media about the propriety of inviting a particular guest or not.”