LASPOTECH Best Graduating Student Follows Mother's Footstep

When Adebola Oluwatosin Adedoyin was announced the overall best graduating student among 14,920 graduands at the 22nd convocation of the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu, his mother, Mrs Kudirat Adedoyin Abdul smiled.

It reminded her of her feat 28 years ago when she graduated as the overall best student from Ogun State College of Education. For her, Adedoyin’s feat runs in the blood.

“He has been a wonderful boy since inception. I am not surprised that history is repeating itself today because he emulated me. I was also the best student when I studied Yoruba Language (N.C.E) in 1986 at the Ogun State College of Education. I am so delighted,” said the mother, who teaches Yoruba at Odogunyan Grammar School, Ikorodu.

With a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.90, Adedoyin was the best student in the Civil Engineering department and the entire school for the 2012/2013 academic session in the Higher National Diploma (HND) programme.

The 24-year old was rewarded with many cash prizes endowed by the LASPOTECH administration and various individuals.

However, despite being the overall best student, his total prize haul, which came to about N140,000, was not the highest for the event. The best graduating students in the School of Agriculture (Tolulope Adeolu Ige) and School of Management and Business Studies (Rasheedat Oluwakemi Ahmed) got N500,000 each and automatic employment courtesy of Mr Timi Paseda, a business man.

Many in the audience wondered aloud why it was so.

This notwithstanding, Adedoyin was very happy about graduating as the best student for the 2012/2013 academic session. The Ogun State indigene who is the third of seven children, thanked God for his success.

“I attribute my success today to God because I did not go out of my way to overread. He just crowned my efforts with success. I am very playful; I do not read much and my friends can testify to that. I read only four hours a day,” he said.

When asked about the future, Adedoyin said, “I would love to proceed to the University of Lagos (UNILAG) or the University of Ibadan (UI) to get my B.Sc.”

His mother, Mrs Adedoyin, said the young man took after her.

It was not only award winners that were happy during the convocation. For many of the graduands, it marked a special day in their lives.

Oluwaseun Ayilara, a National Diploma graduate from the Science Laboratory Technology department, was happy graduating from the school, which she said she would re-apply to if possible.

“I am so proud to be one of its products,” she said.

The students were urged to build on the foundation, the school had already given to them and they should not waste anything as precious as time.

In his speech, the Rector of the polytechnic, Dr AbdulAzeez Lawal urged the students to build on the foundation the school has already laid for them. He also counseled them not waste time as it is a precious commodity.

He said LASPOTECH has a lot to celebrate given the top rating it currently enjoys.

“Lagos State Polytechnic emerged overall best on the list of the top 20 polytechnics in Nigeria,” he said.

While thanking the Lagos State government for funding the institution, he however appealed for more funding to help facilitate further development.

“While I will repeat my gratitude to the Lagos State government, I would want to use the auspicious occasion of this convocation to plead for increased funding. Like I said at the last ceremony held on April 11, 2013, this polytechinc has been without an administrative block since we moved to the Ikorodu Permanent Site in May, 2000,” he said.

Dignitaries that graced the ocassion included Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola(SAN) who was represented by the secretary to the state government, Dr Oluranti Adegbule; Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye; Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Otunba Fatai Olukoga; and the first military governor of Lagos, General Mobolaji Johnson, among others. (The Nation)