ACCOLADES ON ALAKIJA AS GOV. AREGBESOLA COMMISSIONS UNIOSUN ACCESS ROAD

The newly constructed access road to the Main Campus of Osun State University was on Thursday, 19^th October, 2017 commissioned by the Visitor to the University and Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

It was a roll-call of eminent personalities who came from far and near to grace the formal opening of the new access road to the university now christened “Folorunso Alakija Boulevard” in honour of the Chancellor of Osun State University and benefactor, Dr.  Mrs. Folorunso Alakija.

Endless accolades rent the air as all speakers at the grand occasion could not help extolling the philanthropic virtues of Dr. Folorunso Alakija who gave the University a whopping sum of two hundred and fifty million naira (N250,000,000) to complete the access road project.

Governor Aregbesola, in his remarks, thanked Dr. Alakija for assisting the government to complete the access road for the University.

The Governor called on all the rich people with philanthropic minds to emulate Alakija in partnering with State to develop the institution as the government no longer had adequate financial muscle to fund the University. The Governor also thanked members of the University Governing Council under the leadership of Mallam Yusuf Olaolu Ali (SAN) and the Advancement Board for their unstinting commitments towards the development of the eleven-year old University.

In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Mallam Yusuf Ali (SAN) thanked the Governor for allowing the University to take-over and complete the road as well as granting approval for the naming of the access road after Dr. Folorunso Alakija. He pledged his continuous commitment toward the development of the University.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Labode Popoola in his remarks expressed gratitude on behalf of the University to Dr.  Folorunso Alakija for her generous financial support for the University. He also thanked the Council, the Advancement Board and the entire staff for contributing money to support the completion of the road.

Professor Popoola recalled,  “Permit me to dig deep concerning the access road that we are formally opening today.  First and foremost, I commend the ingenuity of the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola for the initiative to construct the access road to Osun State University Main Campus in 2012. 

“The contract for the construction of the 1.2km road was awarded to Kudwin Investment Nig. Ltd. on 18th September, 2012 at the contract sum of six hundred and twenty-four million, seven hundred and eighty thousand, six hundred and sixty-one naira, eighty kobo (N624,708,661:80k), through direct finance arrangement, with a completion period of nine (9) months while 70% of the payment was to be paid in 36 months after successful completion.  But for the paucity of fund, the State Government would have completed the road project.

“However, with the involvement of the Advancement Board, a tripartite meeting of the Board with officials from the Ministry of Works and the contractor was held at the Ministry of Works and Transport, Abere on Monday, 17th October, 2016; the tripartite meeting culminated into the setting up of a Council Committee headed by Engr. Tunde Ponnle.  Council, on 1st December, 2016, approved a new concessionary contract for the construction of the access road at a sum of three hundred and fifty million naira (N350,000,00.00), with new conditions of payment.  The rest has now become history.

Telling his story of the making of the Alakija Boulevard, Prof. Popoola note that 

I can vividly remember the event of that Wednesday, 20th March, 2017 when the management paid a courtesy visit to the Chancellor in her Lagos office, as regards the preparation for the 6th convocation ceremony.  In my briefing, I lamented on the state of the access road for the convocation and the challenges to raise the sum of two hundred and fifty million naira (N250 million) to complete the road project.  Behold, there and then came a sigh of relief, it seemed I was dreaming when our Chancellor responded with humility of heart, and a soft but powerful sentence: she said, “Mr. Vice-Chancellor, though the Crown of my head is not around, with God, count it as ‘DONE’”.  A week after, the University received the alert of the sum of two hundred and fifty million naira (N250 million).

The Vice Chancellor adds further that through the benevolence of the Chancellor of Osun State University

It is a thing of joy for the entire university community because the stress of commuting to and fro work on the road is gone, and gone for good. However, the joy of this day would not have been possible but for the prompt and timely intervention of a renowned benefactor and the first female university Chancellor in Nigeria, Dr. Folorunso Alakija. 

He specially expressed his appreciation to the Advancement Board of the University for raising the sum of N100 million and members of staff who also saw the challenge and contributed about N7million towards the construction of the road.

In addition, he also appreciated the understanding displayed by the Nigerian Army by conceding part of her land to the University for the construction of this road, and called on Mr. Governor to appeal on behalf of the University community to the Nigerian Army for the release of the left side of the land to avert any future clash with the University community.

He also placed it on record, the road is the fourth project to be donated to the University by philanthropists since its inception: the first was a block of eight classrooms donated by Ifetedo community for use of the Ifetedo Campus also in 2008; a 3-room office block donated by Hon. Ogunleye to the College of Education, Ipetu Ijesa Campus on 7th September, 2009 and the ‘Ali Balogun 80-bed fully furnished Hostel’ donated by Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN to the Ifetedo Campus on 29th July, 2012.

The Chancellor, Dr. Folorunso Alakija, who graced the occasion thanked the University community for the honour and accolades and expressed readiness to continue to support in the development of the University.