Fund university education, Awolowo Dosumu urges FG

Chairman of the African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, Ambassador (Dr.) Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu (left) welcoming the vice chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede (right); DVC Academics, Professor Adebayo Bamire (middle) and the DSA, Professor Isiaka Aransi, when the vice chancellor led his team on a courtesy call to the Awolowos in Ikenne last week Thursday.

A former Nigerian ambassador to Canada, and chairman African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, Dr. Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, has called on the federal government to give more premium to the funding of education, especially university education.

She made the call when the vice chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, led his team on a courtesy visit to the Awolowo family in Ikenne.

According to a release by the public relations officer of the university, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, while welcoming the vice chancellor, Dr. Awolowo Dosumu described the art of administering a university as not only stressful but exceptionally demanding, saying that only people of impeccable credentials like Professor Ogunbodede can administer a world class university like OAU.

She lauded Professor Ogunbodede’s leadership style and urged him to do all within his power to sustain the legacies of the founding fathers of the university.

Dr. Awolowo Dosumu then enjoined the federal government to commit more money to properly fund education so that the present generation of Nigerians would benefit what their grandfathers and fathers benefitted during the free education era of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Commending the vice chancellor for a job well done, the former ambassador noted all the efforts the university management is making in terms of the repairs and renovation of the halls of residence, and then pledged the readiness of the Awolowo family to assist the university in any area that the management deemed necessary.

Dr Awolowo Dosumu also appreciated the kind gesture of Professor Ogunbodede in maintaining the aesthetics of the university, particularly the horticultural excellence and architectural beauty, describing the totality of the beauty of the university as a phenomenon.

Earlier, the vice chancellor of OAU, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede, had described Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in whose name the university was rechristened, as a living legend whose legacies in all areas of life could not be erased in the history of Nigeria, Africa and the black race in general.

He further described Chief Awolowo as a visionary leader whose selfless services impacted positively on his people, particularly the South-West region, where his government established the first television station in Africa, the Liberty (now Awolowo) Stadium, and the famous Cocoa House.

Pledging the support of his administration to the Awolowo dynasty, Professor Ogunbodede stated that Chief Awolowo had made OAU a unique brand among other first rated universities in Africa.

He described as invaluable the unquantifiable contributions of the Awolowos to the overall development of the university, emphasizing that during his tenure, the ties between OAU and the Awolowo would be much stronger than before.

The vice chancellor then acknowledged the intellectual vibrancy, political activism and social consciousness of the students resident in Awolowo Hall of the university to the socio-political sagacity of the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

He then appealed to the Awolowo family to partner with the university on Awolowo Hall so that the legacy of Chief Obafemi Awolowo would be passed down to next generations.