As part of activities to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU),Ile-Ife, members of the alumni of the institution at the weekend organized a 3-day Alumni Retreat, brainstormed on repositioning the university for better delivery of its mandates.
The retreat attended by academias and other successful individuals from all walks of life according to the Global President of the alumni ,Engineer Wale Olaleye was also to appreciate God’s mercy in their life.
Other activities which took place at the Alumni Retreat were; carnival procession, Novelty Match, Alumni Internation projects, Medical Outreach, Lecture, Gala Night Awards among other engrossing activities like acrobatic dancing, cultural displays, was attended by hundreds of the association members from all walks of life.
Speaking,the Global President who is a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers promised to embark on rigorous researches that could project enviable image of the University among her sisters globally.
“I appreciate you all for deeming it fit for sparing your times to celebrate the OAU 60th anniversary and alumni retreat.
“Sixty years is a remarkable period for an Institution, more so, when the Institution has fulfilled the mandate of its establishment.”
“Obafemi Awolowo University has fulfilled the mission and vision of its founding fathers, towards ensuring the Great Ife maintains its academic standards and excellence as well as its leads in other areas such as sports and culture.
“We have placed a lot of emphasis on the awareness and encouraging of more members to key into the Association agenda towards providing serious and meaningful intervention on our Alma mater”, he said.
Highlighting intervention of the alumnus on the OAU campus, the Global President stated that, “renovation of lecture theaters, drilling of boreholes, renovation of faculty buildings, donations of books to the library, equipping of the Econometric laboratories, renovation of Hostels, donation of drugs consumables to the health centers among others are the alumni intervention.”
Delivering his lecture, Director and C.E.O of Nigeria French Language Village Ajara-Badagry, Lagos state ,Professor Babatunde Ayeleru who expressed his displeasure that no Covid-19 vaccine has been researched by any Nigerian university.
“No Covid vaccine has been researched and concluded by any of the Nigerian universities and approved by World Health Organization(WHO) for the benefit of the citizenry instead we are looking, cap-in-hand, toward the Oxford AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson and Moderna NIAID vaccine from a foreign university and research institutes abroad” he said.
Those awarded at the event were Yemi Ogunbiyi (the immediate past Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council); Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede (the current Vice-Chancellor of the University); Alh. Rafiu Ebiti (a worthy Alumnus and Philanthropist); and Barr. Olasupo Ojo (the Composer of the well embraced University Anthem.
In his own submission at the event, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede described OAU as the highest standard and worldwide reputation institution in the Western Region of Nigeria, and appreciated the alumni for the kind gesture of their alumni retreat and all their impacts on the institution at large.
The Vice- chancellor further remarked that, the anniversary of the institution and Alumni Retreat which took three days (between Thursday, October 28, 2021, to Sunday, October 31st, 2021) was classical and will ever linger in the memories of those who value qualities.
