The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olusola Bandele Oyewole has charged the new Executive of the Student Union to seize the advantage of being called to lead, as an ample opportunity to groom themselves for the leadership of the country in future.
Professor Oyewole gave the charge at the Swearing-In Ceremony of FUNAAB new Exco, held at Julius Amioba Okojie Lecture Theatre 3.
Speaking at the occasion, the Vice-Chancellor told the new leaders to see leadership as a responsibility, which can only be achieved through purposeful vision and determination to succeed against all odds. He stressed that, “I am therefore looking forward to this Executive to bring in true leadership, that is truly committed to moving fellow students and other young people forward”. The Vice-Chancellor tasked them “to believe and know that people will be looking at you.
They want to see how you behave and what you do”. He warned that “gone are the days when our young leaders were used as thugs for political parties. Gone are those days when our young people were lured into cultism and other vices that destroyed our society”.
Professor Oyewole observed that “there is a trend that I have seen in student Unionism and which I want us to guide against. I have seen a trend in the past where immediately you become the President, Speaker or any executive of the Student Union, you will not be attending lectures”. Please let this leadership not be like that.
Let this leadership be committed to academic work. I will not allow Unionism to interfere with your studies because first and foremost, the reason why you are here is to study”, he added. Professor Oyewole, however, expressed joy “that based on my interaction with some of you (student exco), within me, I feel that the future of the country is great” “Also, listening to the speech of the new President this afternoon, I feel within me that I am listening to the future Obama of this country.
I’m quite happy that he has made a commitment to a new spirit of student Unionism”, he added. He called on the entire students to give their new leaders necessary support and cooperation, in order to succeed in office.
The Vice-Chancellor assured the new leaders “that this Administration will give you all necessary support for you to achieve your vision and your goal”.
He stressed that, “it is because of this that we have planned a special Leadership retreats for all the Student Union Leaders of the University, shortly after this swearing-in ceremony.”
Earlier in his Inauguration Speech, the new President of FUNAABSU, Mr. Adesipo, Tope Abiodun promised that “this leadership shall strive to employ the service of our good moral, social and political judgment to remove the rot and rust of excesses and arbitraries, so that neither right nor power shall be abused or basterdised beyond tolerance”.
Immediately after the Swearing-In Ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor, accompanied by the Registrar, Mr. Mathew Ayoola (JP); the Dean of Students Affairs, Prof. Olufemi Onifade; the Deputy Dean, Students Affairs; Director, Vice-Chancellor’s Office, Mrs. Christiana Kuforiji, led the student exco on inspection tour of the renovated Student Union Building.
The Vice-Chancellor directed that FUNAABSU Secretariat therein be furnished for the comfort of the users.
