In what could best be described as a donation bonanza, the North America Chapter of Olabisi Onabanjo University Alumni Association on Wednesday, 14th August, 2019 formally handed over to the Management of their alma mater, led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ganiyu Olatunji Olatunde some ICT equipment, teaching-learning aids and books worth millions of Naira. The event which came up at the Main Campus of the institution in Ago-Iwoye was a follow-up to an earlier fact-finding visit by the representative of the alumni body in January, 2019, where the chapter registered its resolve to give back to the University in very many ways it deems fit based on the pressing needs of the University.
Receiving the representative of the North America Alumni Chapter, Dr. Afolake Mobolaji in his office, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ganiyu Olatunji Olatunde welcomed her on behalf of the governing council, staff and students of the University not only for their show of love and concerns towards the development of their alma mater but for identifying with the administration’s resolve in making the University “a cynosure of all eyes in the academic world”. He disclosed that the Management would continue to hold the Alumni Association in high esteem especially in its institutional advancement agenda which, according to him, had been yielding positive results.
In her remarks, Dr. Afolake Mobolaji who thanked the management of the University for the warm reception accorded her during her last on-the-spot assessment visit to the University commended them for face-lifting the institution in terms of aesthetic, clean environment, and new projects that kept sprouting serially on Campus. She stated that the chapter was worried by the challenges faced by the institution upon her reports to members of the chapter and therefore, resolved to pool their resources together as a body so as to donate something impactful to the University.
While stressing that the donation was a tip of an iceberg, Dr. Afolake Mobolaji re-assured the University of other things to come in various areas of needs. According to her, the donation would be an on-going event, as a container set of medical equipment including ventilator, books in Sciences, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), already acquired and paid for in favour of the University College of Health Sciences in Sagamu, would soon be delivered to the University. She however, implored the State Government to render more assistance to the University, especially, in the areas of funding.
In his response the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ganiyu Olatunji Olatunde who could not hide his feelings for the quantum of items received by the University expressed appreciation to the North America Chapter for the kind gesture. He disclosed that Management was so glad that Olabisi Onabanjo University Alumni Association through its members all over the world were giving back to the University, emphasizing that the University had also been receiving donations from other chapters including those in Nigeria and the United Kingdom. He, therefore, stated that the gestures were a pointer to the fact that the ex-students were not only appreciative of graduating from the University, but also acknowledging the meaningful impacts the institution had had on their lives.
While taking the distinguished alumnus on a tour of facilities in the University, the Vice-Chancellor recalled how Tetfund had been the major benefactor of most of the projects being executed in the University. The projects, according to him included the Central Administrative Building which houses the Senate Chamber, blocks of toilet facilities, and an imposing ICT Building. The proposed ones included the construction of a 750-Seater Auditorium for Faculty of Science, a Lecture Theatre for the Faculty of Social Sciences, among others. Professor Ganiyu Olatunde noted that the judicious use of the fund in the implementation of the intended projects which had been the hallmark of the current administration had placed the institution on higher stead in attracting more developmental fund from the donor agency.
In her reaction, the highly elated alumnus, Dr. Afolake Mobolaji said she was overwhelmed by the numbers and quality of the projects completed and the on-going ones on the campus as well as other innovative efforts recorded since her last visit. These she described as not only the right steps in the right direction, but a clarion call to all stakeholders for more involvement in the developmental efforts of the University. She thereafter, expressed satisfaction over the enviable administrative style of the current University Management which she described as being transparent and accountable based on prima-facie evidence of stream of new projects trailing the completed ones.
The highpoint of the event was the formal handing-over of the items donated to the University by the North America Chapter of OOU Alumni Association to the University Management led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ganiyu Olatunji Olatunde at the new ICT Building. The equipment included sets of Desktop Computers, Laptop Computers, Projectors, Printers, UPS, Magnifiers, Scanners, Decoders, Network Printers, , Interactive Boards, Switch System, Sound recorder, Copiers, volumes of books, etc. Other dignitaries on the entourage of the Vice-Chancellor included the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Prof. Mrs. Ebun Oduwole, the Registrar, Mr. Femi Ogunwomoju, the University Librarian, Dr. Adebambo Oduwole, the Provost Postgraduate School, Prof. G. A. Adenuga, and other University functionaries.
