*As JAMB Registrar Decries Indiscriminate Honorary Degree Awards By Varsities
By Editor
Prof. Wahab Egbewole, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, has sought support for two strategic initiatives in order to set standard of excellence in the institution.
The Vice-Chancellor made the appeal during the Award of Excellence and Investiture of Distinguished Alumni and Unilorin Ambassadors on Wednesday, in Ilorin.
Egbewole, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said that the university was set to unveil legacy projects, including the Transcript Hub and Innovation Hub, while seeking support for Techno and Industrial Park and the Centre for Stem Cell Research.
He said that the Ambassadors were nominated by their respective faculties and have consistently demonstrated loyalty to the values of Unilorin and have given back meaningfully.
“One of such individuals is Dr Tunji Olowolafe, a 1984 medical graduate, who sponsored 40 academic staff to international conferences, supporting each with N5 million and donated Hilux vehicle and Anatomage machine.
“Another is Dr Murthada Adeniji, an alumnus of Great Ife, who supported Unilorin by donating 90 KVA Solar power system, drastically reducing our monthly energy bills and a Hilux vehicle,” he said.
Prof. Abdulrasheed Adeoye, Chairman, Planning Committee of Unilorin’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, said that the institution was a brand worth selling.
Adeoye said that Unilorin as a brand had moved from being a local champion to compete with its international peers.
“Today, we are celebrating a brand that has produced global citizens, captains of industry, engineers, lawyers, artists, educationists, doctors and others, across the 16 faculties.
“We have awards in three categories. These are Award of Excellence (2), Distinguished Alumni (10) and Unilorin Ambassadors (50).
“The next set of awards is for 1984 Medical Graduates, 1992 Agriculture Graduates, 2002 Accounting and Finance Graduates,” he said.
Delivering a keynote address, Prof. Yusuf Ali said that the gathering was to celebrate generosity and reflect on responsibility.
Ali, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, spoke on the theme: “The Essence of Giving Back to the University: A Charge to do More”.
He said, “the primary purpose of the event is not academic instruction but to recognise and honour 65 distinguished individuals.”
“Giving Back is about donations, material contributions, showing gratitude, demonstrating responsibility and building legacies.
“It is the recognition that we are all beneficiaries of sacrifices made by those who came before us and that we, too, must plant seeds for future generations.”
Also speaking at the occasion, the registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Oloyede, decried the alleged indiscriminate award of honorary degrees to individuals in and outside the country.
Oloyede, who was a former vice chancellor of the university, lamented that honorary degrees had become worthless.
“I was part of the team then, during my time as VC who said that University of Ilorin should not be part of the maddening crowd of awarding honorary degrees.
“You would see that the University of Ilorin would not just award degrees the way others do. I can’t remember any in the last 20 years, just because we want to be different”, he said.
While commending the university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Egbewole (SAN) for the innovative idea, Oloyede pledged on behalf of other awardees, that they would continue to serve the university, the nation and humanity.
