Remarks by the Prof Olu Obafemi, FNAL, NNOM, D.Litt.(Hon), Chairman, Implementation Committee, Kogi State University, Kabba.
Courtesies.
KSU, Kabba: An Incomparable Gift to Okun Land and Kogi State.
Today is a bright, joyful and happy day.
The meshing of two set of dreams. The collective dream of a people whose decades of yearnings, hope and desire for a university has attained unimagined fulfilment.
The personal dream of a leader, The Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, CON in with a profound sense of history, mission, justice and equity through the establishment of a third university, has come to certitude and reality.
Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello, CON, has in fulfilling his promise to establish this university, etched his name, indelibly, on the wall of history and the minds of a grateful people of Okunland.
Just looking at the picaresque splendour of this environment and the bright, smiling and shining faces of over nine hundred students whose dreams for an opportunity for University education has come to fulfilment and the importance of the marvelous exploit of Governor Yahaya Bello will be manifest.
I congratulate the Governor for proving himself a man of honour, purpose and destiny.
I congratulate the people of Okun land, who’s first alphabet of thought action and industry, is education.
Just consider it deeply: how can a people, who in land mass population density, has the largest number of University professors in the whole of Nigeria not have a university on its soil?
I congratulate His Royal Highness, the Obaro if Kabba and other Obas in the Okun Traditional Council for the blessing of this University during their reign.
I congratulate Kogi State, with the gift of a third and anticipatedly vibrant University, two in the tenure of its present and outgoing Governor.
I congratulate members of my Implementation/provisional Council for their being chosen as the instrument of fulfilling this dream.
In just about six months from inauguration in June to conclusion, the university has been delivered to the Governor, who made the inspired choice of Seventeen of the finest and most ingenious Professors in Kogi State with, six top notch technocrats of government, with an incredible sense of commitment, loyalty and patriotism to the State.
I am eternally grateful to Governor Yahaya Bello, not only for making me the Chairman of the establishment Committee, but by giving us unfettered freedom to do the work.
I must show deep appreciation to my friend, the former Executive Secretary ofu NUC, Prof Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, mni, mfr, FNAL, for his support in granting recognition for the recognition in the fastest speed ever in the history of establishing universities in this country.
He must be glad that in less than six months, the university has come to be and come to stay.
I congratulate the members of the university Management, which my Committee meticulously appointed, and which Governor Yahaya Bello promptly approved, under the digital VC, Prof K.I. T. Eniola who started galloping before hitting the ground.
I congratulate the State government education agent, Hon. Wemi Jones for his fluent and competent handling of the process.
I nudge and urge the people of Okun in particular, and of Kogi State in general to join hands in making this seed of a university become in no time, a great, enviable Baobab tree among the ranks of world universities.
Your Excellency, here is our arrival. What a glorious way of ending a tenure with enduring immortal memory!! Congratulations!!!
I thank you.
Olu Obafemi.
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