It was a marvelous night on Thursday, 15th August, 2017 for members of the 10th Council of Olabisi Onabanjo University led by Dr. Segun Oshin. It was an unprecedented occasion in the annals of this University for a new Governing Council to honour the immediate past Governing Council. But history was made in this University at the luxury Park Inn Hotel, Abeokuta when the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Mrs. Mosun Belo-Olusoga and members of her Council host the Dr. Segun Oshin’s led Council to a soiree buffet.
The attendance at this convivial dinner was not short of dignitaries among whom were the number one citizen of Ogun State, the Visitor to the University, His Excellency, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, CON, FCA, Honorable Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Modupe Mujota, Honorable Victor Fasanya, the Chairman, House Committee on Education and of course all members of the immediate past Governing Council and the current Governing Council members.
While welcoming the distinguished guests, the Ag. Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ganiyu Olatunji Olatunde extolled the immediate past members of the University Council for stabilizing the University and giving it a new direction. He commended the former Vice-Chancellor, Professor Saburi Adesanya for steering the hitherto rudderless ship of the University out of its crisis and successfully putting it on a safe and admirable path. He observed that through the yeoman task of the Dr. Segun Oshin’s led Council, the University was able to endure the turbulent wind of the crisis and emerged unscathed with its reputation still held in high esteem among its sisters’ Universities.
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Mrs. Mosun Belo-Olusoga corroborated the Acting Vice-Chancellor when she gladly expressed that the lost glory of the University had been brought back by the herculean work of the immediate past Council members and then by the Visitor, His Excellency, Senator Ibikunle Amosun for the unalloyed support he gave the Council and the Management.
She said that the new Governing Council Members would work for the betterment of students and staff of the University during her tenure. She added that the Council would hit the ground running in order to maintain the speedy graduation of students as exemplified by the immediate past Council members whom she said had laid a solid foundation for the University to excel.
She stressed that though to administer an institution of the kind of Olabisi Onabanjo University, was an uphill task hence she believed that the record set by the previous Governing Council members would be surpassed.
During the comments session by the immediate past Council members on how they achieved the feat, many of the speakers attributed the success to the leadership qualities and commitment exhibited by both Dr. Oshin and Professor Adesanya in managing the affairs of the University.
The synergies to work together and revamp the University were aptly noticeable in the relationship of Dr. Oshin and Professor Adesanya. “The selfless service rendered by Professor Adesanya was so obvious as not to go unnoticed” said a Council member. The member continued, “our Council then made lots of sacrifices and took difficult and tough decisions to stem the final doom awaiting the University”.
In his comments, the immediate past Vice-Chancellor – Professor Saburi Adejimi Adesanya commended the University Registrar Mrs. Omolara Osunsanya and Dr. Oshin led Council for standing as a pillar for him to entrench the good work they collectively started during his tenure. He advised the new management and Council to adopt dialogue approach to solve knotty issues bordering on staff welfare.
In his submission, the current National President of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi who was a member of that Council, recalled how he and Dr. Segun Oshin were always at loggerheads during the period over his plea to recall disengaged staff who were arbitrarily sacked. He advised the Visitor to the University to do the needful through financial subventions to the University in order to further stabilize it.
Speaking at the event, the immediate past Chairman of the University Governing Council, Dr. Segun Oshin said his tenure started with a Colloquium on the way forward for the University which gave them a new insight into solutions to issues affecting the progress of the institution. He revealed that as a way of curbing corruption in the system, the Council introduced a single treasury account which blocked all loopholes. He added that the National Universities Commission (NUC) was pleased to see the progress made in the rationalization of programmes and the quality assurance put in place to ensure that standards were maintained.
In his address, the Visitor to the University, Senator Ibikunle Amosun ably represented by the Honourable Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Modupe Mujota urged the new Council members to work very hard to surpass the record of the past Council members and in driving the vision of the 9th Council.
She announced that the Visitor to the University would soon release a heartwarming package for the University as motivation to ensure that things were continually put in shape in the University.
The dinner was rounded off with presentation of gifts to all past Council members. It was indeed a night of conviviality, camaraderie, and interesting reunion with both members of Council taking to the dancing floor exchanging banters and pleasantries.
