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For the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, University of Osun, Osogbo, Osun State, Prof. Sola Akinrinade, last Friday was the end of an era. He moderated the second convocation of the institution, his last as the VC. The pioneer VC was deservedly celebrated not just by the institution but by the Visitor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who described his performance as excellent and his tenure as clean, open, transparent and committed to the laying down of an enviable foundation for the advancement of a peaceful and academically robust university.
But while the VC was enjoying the accolades, 26-year-old Dotun Oladipo was also receiving the best applause of the day. He emerged the best graduating student after obtaining a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.90 out of a possible 5.0 to bag a first class degree in Economics. He also won the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for the Most Outstanding Student of the Year, the Chancellor’s Award, the Best Graduating Student in the College of Management and Social Sciences and the Most Outstanding Student in the Department of Economics.
For his efforts, he was offered automatic employment at the institution. Also, the remaining 18 graduating students who also bagged first class degrees were awarded scholarships for their postgraduate studies in universities of their choices provided they desire to pick up careers in academics.
This is in line with Oladipo’s ambition. He desires to become a professor of economics in the nearest future. Each time he was called to the podium to receive his prizes, the audience made up of vice-chancellors of other universities, the Deputy Governor of Osun State, Mrs. Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, principal officers of UNIOSUN, parents and students went wild in jubilation. Aregbesola and Akinrinade who were saddled with the responsibility of the presentation of the prizes to Oladipo also joined the jubilant crowd. They clapped, hugged and applauded him.
But his path to academic success was not without challenges. Though he completed his secondary school in 2003 and obtained seven distinctions and one credit pass, he could not secure admission to university until 2008. Frustrated by this, Oladipo went to a seminary in Ilesa after he convinced himself that he was probably not cut out for a career in academics. But luck smiled on him in 2008 when he was offered admission to UNIOSUN for a degree programme in Economics.
Oladipo in an interview with journalists after he received his awards from Aregbesola said he was happy to emerge the best graduating student in spite of the difficulties he faced as an undergraduate.
Asked how he felt beating 656 others, Oladipo who completed his secondary school education at Sacred Heart Emmanuel Secondary School, Akure, Ondo State in 2003, said he was happy. The Ilesa, Osun State born graduate, was however, humble in victory. “Let’s just give glory to God, who helped to make it happen,” he said. He, however, admitted that he faced a lot of challenges after he got admission to UNIOSUN in 2008.
“My experience before I was admitted here was not rosy because I had finished secondary school since 2003. I wrote the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination, I had seven distinctions and only one credit in Yoruba at Sacred Heart Emmanuel Secondary School, Akure, Ondo State. I tried to gain admission to the university but my efforts did not pay off. Convinced that God probably did not want me to go to the university; I enrolled at a seminary in Ilesa. But in 2008, I was admitted here and I just found myself in another world entirely. Now my plan is to go into academics and even become a professor in Economics,” he said.
Speaking about the challenges he faced as an undergraduate, Oladipo said, “Right from year 2008, it has been challenges upon challenges but I thank God and I’m happy that we are graduating today. It’s not been easy. We have to meet up with challenges of lectures, tests, examinations and extra curricula activities and making sure that we adhere strictly to moral virtues imparted into us by my parents.”
Though he said God was responsible for his success, Oladipo added that determination, hard work and ability to set achievable goals contributed to his success. “My success is achieved by knowing what I’m here for; whenever you enter a school, set targets for yourself and tell yourself that you want to be the best among all and as long as you are working and praying towards it, it would be possible,” he said.
On an unforgettable experience he had while on campus, he said, “One thing I can’t forget was when I was in 100 Level and I obtained credit in a course I felt I should have made a distinction. I was not really happy with my score and I went to meet the lecturer. Though the lecturer listened to me, I was surprised that my course mates were not happy about my effrontery to challenge a lecturer. Some of them felt I was proud. I was disturbed thinking that as an undergraduate, we should be free to ask questions.”
He, however, advised undergraduates against imposing unnecessary boundary on them, adding that they should not entertain fear.
“There is nothing in life that is so difficult; all it takes is hard work and labour. They must face challenges in school and make sure they attend lectures regularly, respect their lecturers and take what they are doing very seriously. During my stay in school, it was not reading all the time. In this life, there is always time for everything; you must allocate and use your time judiciously, the time to play, the time to go to party, to go for lectures and the time to be in the library, we must make sure that we allocate our time and use it judiciously because time waits for no one,” he said.
He also commended the university authorities for providing quality academic facilities, lecturers and environment that enhanced teaching and learning.
But the ceremony was not just about Oladipo as 18 other graduating students including Adenekan Tobiloba, Ajibola Sunday, Lenboye Muize, Bamigbose Ruth, Ogbonna Francisca and Miss Adewumi Blessing were also honoured. Blessing, who bagged a fist class in Electrical Electronics Engineering, is the only female in her class. She obtained a CGPA of 4.58 to emerge the best in the male-dominated class.
Earlier, Akinrinade while delivering his convocation speech had said that of the 657 graduating students, 19 had first class degrees; 227 had second class upper degrees while 362 obtained second class lower degrees. The remaining 49, he said, made third class degrees.
He added that student enrolment in the university had grown from 4, 764 in 2010/2011 to 6,303 in the 2011/2012 session. The outgoing VC said that during the year under review, some faculty members of UNIOSUN won various competitive research and travel grants. He added that the university had made progress with academic development, noting that all the programmes presented for accreditation from the National Universities Commission in 2012 secured full accreditation.
Akinrinade added that some pioneer graduates of the institution including Miss Rachael Jegede and Mr. Hassan Abayomi distinguished themselves during the one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps Scheme in Kogi and Edo states.
He added that though the university had registered itself in international tertiary education landscape and its reputation generally acknowledged, the institution should brace up to new developments in higher education.
The new leadership, he said, should engage in capacity building for all operators at all levels of the administrative system. “While it is normal to expect the new operators to make their mistakes, it is important that we avoid those errors that could be fatal to the future of the institution,” he said.
In order to help the incoming leaders, Akinrinade presented a five- year strategic development plan he had codified in a book to the governor and a letter of accreditation of courses and commendation the NUC gave the institution.
Aregbesola, who commended the founding fathers of the university including his predecessor, Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the pioneer Chancellor, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, pioneer Chairman, Governing Council, Prof. Peter Okebukola and Akinrinade, called on administrators of the nation’s university system to work harder at impacting the society positively.
According to the governor, the nation’s university system should go beyond production of graduates that lacked the needed skills for job creation.
He also called on academics to embark on researches that would be relevant to the needs of the society, adding that if well administered, the nation’s universities could be self-funded.
He also called for the creation of a regional university for the South West geo-political zone.
