Kwara Senator speaks on reason he sponsored establishment of University of History and Archeology

Senator representing Kwara South Senatorial district Senator Ashiru Oyelola Yisa said the non existence of University of History and Archeology has created a peeper dichotomy between between the past and present, saying that in the case of Nigerians, they were gradually losing their bearings.

The lawmaker spoke with National Assembly reporters after Wednesday’s plenary where the bill to establish the University of History and Archeology, Esiein Kwara State passed second reading in the Senate.

He said, it was time Nigeria refocus its citizens to knowing their beginnings in terms of human relationships.

He said: “It’s a very simple analogy. When you have everything in life -good home, car, houses and don’t have a bearing, it’s as if you are not going anywhere.

“The story of Nigeria is a funny story. We have been going sporadically high. As we are going far in modality, we are seriously going far away from our bearing.

“We want to refocus ourselves to the beginning and I am not talking of archaic age. I’m talking about relationships of man to man, woman to woman which is embedded in culture.

“Culture is the most important thing in human history and I feel that if we don’t know our story, beginning how do we go far in this world.”

He lamented the cancellation of teaching of history in Nigeria’s basic schools, noting that it’s one of the primary reasons, he introduced a specialised University to offer history and other related courses.

“I’m worried that in most secondary schools today, history has been cancelled as a subject and the best way of refocusing it is to get back specialized University of history to be able to do a scientific history and archeology.

“We need to know about the way of living in the past. A detail of interrelationship of man to woman is what we call real history and not superficial history.

“There is no provision in this world that would not benefit from the story of history. Architecture for instance, I know that history of architecture is a very important tool on how a person can be a good architect

“If you want to be an architect and you don’t know what happened in the Renaissance era, you can’t be a good architect. That is why I think that our past is a good past. If we are to build a veritable good future and a good present, we must know where we’re coming from. That why issue of history becomes very interesting.

“One of those things we trying to say is that we should start talking of history and when you talk about history, you talk about ancient history but more importantly is what we call contemporary history.

“Studying people in the past, how Japanese are able to emerge from the world war, etc.we have a lot to gain.

“It would be located in Isie in Kwara South and I am particular about Kwara South because of the subtle sculpture in Isie.

“It has the greatest number of artifacts anywhere in the world. -soft stone, it’s a hospital environment. The first museum in Nigeria established in 1945 was in Isie.

“The museum is still existing and they have abundant land and history is embedded there. So many historians are native of that environment. We trying to enhance it by putting a university there.

“Of recent, French ambassador was there and if you know what he said about the museum, you will be surprised. If these things were somewhere else it will generate so much revenue and that is why we are talking of a museum linked up with a university.

“There are a lot of multilateral agencies that will sponsor it though we need government to kick it up. Once that is done, it will be one of the most valuable University in the country.

“Universities are supposed to be viable. I don’t see why the university of Archeology and history will not be viable as long as it is qualitatively based.

“I Know that our children are serious about education. I have hope in the children of Nigeria and I Know that if they have enabling environment, good climate they will excel.

“When they begin to learn more about our past heroes, achievements, begin to know that at a time Africa was a cradle of relaxation, to know that the pyramid of Egypt was popularized by the black, they will begin to have a refocus on themselves.

“That is the essence of history. It’s like a revival and that is what we are trying to encourage everywhere.”