Tinubu, others at Adeleke varsity, give hopes to graduating students

IT was a meeting of titans on Sunday at the maiden convocation of Adeleke University, Ede as dignitaries converged to grace the occasion, Among those present were the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, President, Aliko Group of Companies, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore (rtd).

Their presence enlivened the event and rekindled the hopes of fresh graduates, as they were conferred with honorary degrees. ‎ Tinubu, who was conferred with a honorary Doctorate degree in Political Science and Diplomacy by the institution used the occasion to pour encomiums on Aregbesola‎, whom he described as a welfarist governor that has immeasurable love for his people of Osun State and as one of the most outstanding governors in Nigeria, who has impacted positively on the lives of the masses.

He added that Aregbesola has distinguished himself as a patriotic governor whose people’s welfare takes priority in all his policies and programmes.

The APC leader who was decorated as the pioneer recipient of the institution’s honorary award expressed his profound gratitude to the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council, Dr. Adedeji Adeleke as well as his family for counting him worthy of the honour.

He described the award as a challenge for him to be more dedicated and committed to growth and development of education not only in Nigeria but also in the world.

Tinubu said the Adelekes have demonstrated to Nigerians and the world the essence of education as the bedrock of development that can contribute to nation building and development.

In his words: “It is sincerely a great honour for me to be the first and pioneer honorary award recipient at this maiden convocation ceremony of Adeleke University alongside with the first graduates of this great institution.

Adeleke dynasty has shown more interest in education and this has contributed tremendously to educational sector in Nigeria and the entire world as thousands of helpless minds have been educated through different academic scholarships sponsored by the family.

Adeleke family has reduced the rate of ignorance, poverty and destitution through their various academic programmes and life ameliorating gestures which have complemented the policies of the state government most especially on education sector. ‎

Advising the graduating students, he noted that education is the greatest weapon against poverty, urging them to employ everything positive at their disposal for the development of their different professions as they move into the competitive world.

Tinubu also charged them to demonstrate high sense of patriotism, honesty and fairness in their future career as parts of the virtues being learnt at the university.

Education is the greatest weapon against poverty, but it is not glorious for one to succeed and excel unless such individual is committed and determined because the road to success most times are hard, tough and thorny”, Tinubu stated. In his remarks, Aregbesola congratulated the management of the institution for being upright and focused in the last four years of the institution.

The governor said it is rare in the face of proliferation of sub-standard educational institutions in Nigeria to have a worthy academic ambassadors like the management of Adeleke University who are strongly committed to changing the space of knowledge in the country without any form of discrimination.

He urged the graduands to be good ambassadors of their various communities, states, country and the world at large, stressing that they should continue to showcase to the world the virtues of patriotism, love, peace, professionalism and nationalism in all their endeavours.

Congratulating the awardees, Governor Aregbesola described them as round pegs in round holes, adding that they all deserved their respective awards as being conferred upon them by the institution.

Addressing the gathering, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Oluwole Amusan, said that 11 of the graduating students of the university finished with First class honours; 80 students made Second Class Upper Division; 33 Second Class, Lower Division while only one student graduated with a Third Class. “We have never had a chancellor since the creation of this institution about four years ago, but I am very happy today that the first chancellor of the university had been conferred and installed”, he said.

Besides Tinubu, other awardees included former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Alfa Belgore (rtd) who was conferred with honorary doctorate degree on jurisprudence, Senator Isiaka Adeleke was conferred and installed as the pioneer chancellor of the institution, while the Business Mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote was also conferred with honorary doctorate degree.

The vice-chancellor, however, said all the 13 programmes run by the university had been accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC).