…As Chancellor Appeals for Rehabilitation of Camp-Alabata Road

By Emeka Oluka

The Visitor to the University, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), has assured that his administration, with its Renewed Hope Agenda, remains committed to pursuing programmes that would enhance service delivery, thereby culminating into rapid transformation of the educational sector in Nigeria.

The President gave this assurance, while addressing the Graduands and guests at the Oluwafemi Balogun Ceremonial Building, during the 31st Convocation Ceremony of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), held on Saturday, January 27, 2024.

Principal Officers and other dignitaries at the Convocation Ceremony

According to the President, his administration has been interfacing with critical stakeholders in the education sector to share ideas, appreciate frontiers and provide necessary support for the nation’s agricultural sector.

Represented by the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Hon. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, the Visitor seized the opportunity to urge the University based Unions to see themselves as partners in progress with the government.

The President noted that the government alone can not handle the educational system without the support of all the University Unions.

He charged the Unions to avoid a strike of any form that might ground the academic system, noting that if the academic system was hitch free, it would easily compete with any other educational system all over the World.

The Visitor’s representative and Hon. Minister of State for Education, Hon. Yusuf Tanko Sununu (3rd Left); the Awardee and his wife, (3rd Right & Middle); the Chancellor, HRE, Edidem Ekpo Okon, Abasi Otu V, the Obong of Calabar (2nd Right); the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde (Right); the Ag. Registrar, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Dawodu (Left) and the representative of the Vice-Chancellor, University of Jos, after the conferment of Honorary Award on Prof. Jega

In his goodwill message, the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, CON, represented by Mrs. Toyin Alade, congratulated the University on its achievement.

He urged FUNAAB to play active role by sharing the vision of the President to combat the rising cost of food and its underlying causes in the country.

He added that the nation was looking up to the Graduands to be the torchbearers of agricultural transformation, adding that they should be good ambassadors of the University.

Delivering his address, the Chancellor of the University, His Royal Eminence, Edidem Ekpo Okon, Abasi-Otu V, the Obong of Calabar, expressed elation at the rate with which the University was growing and its sustenance of academic excellence.

The Chancellor appreciated the leadership of the University for its keen interest in massive developmental strides, noting that a lot has taken place within the University between last year’s Convocation and that of this year.

Dr. Fola Adeola and his wife with the former Pro-Chancellor, Chief Lawrence Ayinde Osayemi (Left); the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde (Right) including the representative of the Alake, the Apena of Egbaland, Chief Alani Bankole at the Convocation Ceremony

He lauded the President and Visitor of the University for the untiring commitment he has displayed towards the advancement of the education sector since assuming duties as the President.

The Chancellor appreciated the President for heeding the calls of stakeholders in exempting tertiary institutions from the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information Scheme (IPPIS) to enhance the corporate governance system of the universities.

He, however, appealed to the Federal Government to rehabilitate the Camp-Alabata Road which leads to the University campus.

Delivering his address, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, congratulated the President on his victory at the Supreme Court.

Speaking on the Convocation, he said that a total of 122 graduates got 1st Class Honours Degree, 1,540 were in the 2nd Class Upper Division, 1,705 in the 2nd Class Lower Division, while 187 had 3rd Class Degrees.

Prof. Kehinde further disclosed that six new programmes have been approved by the University Senate, saying they are currently being processed for approval by the National Universities Commission (NUC), with the hope that the new programmes would take-off in the next academic session.

The Vice-Chancellor seized the opportunity to re-announce FUNAAB’s feat of emerging the 2nd Best University in Nigeria, and 26th in Sub-Saharan Africa by Times Higher Education (THE).

Adding that FUNAAB also emerged as the Best University Of Agriculture in Africa and the 7th in the world, as ranked by the 2024 THE World University Rankings (WUR). He, however, promised that the University Management would not rest on its oars at attaining and sustaining excellence.

Prof. Kehinde, therefore, appreciated the Federal Government and its relevant agencies for the support received from them, as he pleaded for more assistance to enable the university to improve upon its achievements.

He congratulated the Graduands, saying that the class of 2024 are uniquely positioned to be game-changers and the pioneers who would reshape the agricultural landscape of the nation.

The event climaxed with the awards of Doctor of Science, Honoris Causa, conferred on former Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, and the co-founder of Guarantee Trust Bank, Dr. Fola Adeola, in recognition of the duo’s contributions to national development.