– salutes Fasina ‘s enduring legacies
Sola POPOOLA
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ayo Arise has declared the collegiate system adopted by the authorities of the Federal University ,Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE),ensured an even development patterns in communities in Ekiti North in particular, and Ekiti as a whole.
Commending the university for honouring eminent Nigerians at her 10th Convocation ceremonies, Arise acknowledged what he described as the ” phenomenal growth “the university had recorded in the last 14 years of its existence , particularly under leadership of the immediate past Vice Chancellor, Professor Abayomi Fasina .
According to him,the honour is a fitting tribute to decades of excellence, sacrifice, and nation-building.of the recipients.
Among those bestowed with honorary doctoral degrees were the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, CON; the Oloye of Oye-Ekiti, HRM Oba (Sir) Oluwole Ademolaju Adugbole III, OON; Most Rev. Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto.
Also honoured were His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, CON, the Sultan of Sokoto; Justice Walter Onnoghen, former Chief Justice of Nigeria.
Senator Arise, who represented Ekiti North Senatorial District between 2011- 2014 .said he shared a long term relationship with the honourees.
For instance ,Arise said” Myself and the Sultan came across each other about 37 years in Freetown,even though I never knew he was going to become a Sultan .He took me as his brother.He later became Nigerian attache to Pakistan and later Sultan of Sokoto .
For Bishop Kukah” I have known him since the 1990s .I saluted his efforts in ensuring peace and religious harmony in Nigeria .
Saluting the enviable feat recorded by the university, Senator Arise hinted that FUOYE had become the most sought- after university in Nigeria ,in the last four years with a student population of over 60,000.
He equally saluted the vision of the FUOYE Council chairman ,Senator Victor Ndoma Egba,adding that the university is now the fastest growing university in Nigeria.
Arise commended the Oloye for ensuring unity and progress of the community and university.
” I congratulate FUOYE, particularly the phenomenal growth the university has ,witnessed under Professor Fasina . In the last four years,FUOYE has remained the most sought after university ,with over 60, 000 students population.The university is still growing in leaps and bounds .It’s an amazing feat ,because it’s one of the Federal Universities established by President Good luck Jonathan in 2011.And of course the collegiate type system of running the university has ensured that the development is spread across Ekiti communities in Ekiti North .It’s testament to the support we gave to the university. I also salute the chairman of the council and former leader of the Senate Senator Ndoma Egba for his vision .He had conducted two Convocation ceremonies within a spate two years .This is commendable.I know him to be a man of excellence.”Arise said.