OYSCATECH to honour OBJ, Ajimobi, 3 others at maiden convocation tomorrow

THE Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora, will, tomorrow, honour former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, by conferring on them its Distinguished Fellowship Award, at the grand finale of its maiden convocation ceremony and 10th Founders Day anniversary.

Other notable Nigerians that have been pencilled in for honour by the institution at the ceremony, where a total of 2,065 students will be graduated, are the Chief Executive Officer of BOVAS Petroleum, Mrs B. A. Samson; Chief Executive Officer of Owotutu Petroleum, Alhaji Fasasi Adesope and Alhaji Rahman Alayande of Dangote Sugar Company.

The provost of the institution, Professor Jacob Adewale, who addressed a press conference on Monday, said out of the 2,065 graduating students, 1,888 will bag the Ordinary National Diploma certificates, while 177 will receive Higher National Diploma certificates.

The ceremony, Professor Adewale said, was organised for  seven sets of graduands, which go back to 2009/2010,  from the faculties of Animal and Fisheries Technology, Home and Rural Economics, Engineering and Technology, Plant and Environment Sciences and Faculty of Science.

The don called on government at all levels to initiate schemes that would encourage young people to go into modern agricultural practices, particularly, in view of the shifting focus from petroleum as the mainstay of the economy.

He equally implored parents and guardians to stimulate the interest of their wards in courses in agriculture

“I wish to reiterate that agricultural and technological education could help to transform the nation, especially, with the current drive in the economic diversification from oil to agriculture.

“Government at all levels, must be far from paying lip service to agriculture, while parents and guardians should also encourage their wards to take courses in agriculture,”  he  said.

He said the mandate of the college was to prepare youths for independent living through exposure to training in farm practice, vocational skills and entrepreneurship.

“The current global reality is that education programme is being structured and designed to make recipients become self-reliant, productive and skillful for either gainful employment or personal investment after graduation.

“To this end, OYSCATECH graduands have been trained as agents of food sufficiency and self-employment,”  he  said.