The Ebumawe of Ago-Iwoye, Oba Abdulrazaq Adenugba, has commended the authorities of the Olabisi Onabanjo (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, for providing a platform for healthy relationship between the university and host community.
He stated this at one of the programmes outlined to mark the university’s 40th Founder’s Day tagged ‘Town and Gown Day celebration’, held at the main campus of the school.
The monarch noted that the establishment of the state-owned university with multiple campuses has been a blessing to the host communities.
Oba Adenugba described OOU as the mainstay of the town’s economy, hence the need for indigenes to cooperate with the university community in bringing more development to it.
He, therefore, implored the management of the institution to make the programme a yearly event.
The monarch also expressed the hope that other tertiary institutions in the state would follow the example now established by the OOU.
“There’s no Ago-Iwoye without the university. Olabisi Onabanjo University has started it and I’m sure all other universities will definitely follow. As far as the university is concerned, it is a pacesetter in its own right. Olabisi Onabanjo is an institution and it is a household name in the arena of universities or academia. I’m sure the pace has been set by the university.
“We have started it and Rome was not built in a day and we are expecting that next one will be more elaborate than what we have now. The awareness has been created for all the campuses and satelite centres in collaboration with OOU all round the state and I’m sure that all the alumni will look back to see what everyone can contribute to bring an elaborate celebration of this kind of a thing next year. I’ve pronounced it today that we should have Olabisi Onabanjo Town and Gown Day which by the grace of God we will be coming up every year. We shall all be together to celebrate it.”
Speaking earlier, OOU Vice Chancellor, Professor Ayodeji Agboola, said any research work carried out by any institution, without meaningful impact on the generality of the people is mere exercise in futility.
The VC who was a graduate of the institution said the Town and Gown Day celebration would further strengthen the bond of harmony among the indigenes, students and other members of the university community.
“The university actually started in the town. That time, we didn’t even have a gown to take there, but they accepted us and gave us everything that they had. And during that period we were there, they prayed for us that all the students that were going to produce from there would be successful and I’m happy to inform you that I ‘m one of them. I was there, I graduated there, I worked there and today I’m where I’m a Professor.
“So, whatever you are doing, if it is research and it doesn’t have the components of town, it is not useful. Whatever you are doing to improve society, you must put the town in mind, if that is not done, then that thing is useless.
“So, it is always important to have both town and gown coming together all the time. And seeing that we are one. We see them as parents of these children (our students) because they stay in the town and the students must also appreciate them. And people in the town should also come here(the campus) to see what is being done. You have heard the Kabiyesi saying I’m more or less the Otunba Soyesanmi of Iwoye. It shows clearly that I have actually benefited from the town because when I came here, I was nobody but Iwoye has actually done me good and I’m somebody today
“I want the students to see it that way that if you move closer to the people in town, apart from the formal education, they are your parents when you are here day and night. In that situation, you would be able to benefit from their words of experience and wisdom. I believe that what the Kabiyesi has suggested, we will be doing it yearly so that the people in town will know that we are not their enemies and people in the university will also know that the people in the town are their friends,” Agboola said.
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