BENIN CITY- Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State is to be conferred with a honorary doctorate degree honoris causa in Public Administration by the Samuel Adegboyega University, Ogwa, Edo state within the first quarter of this year for his immense contribution to the advancement of education in the state.
This came to the fore when the Governing Council and management of the institution led by the President of the Apostlelic Church and Chancellor of the university,Pastor (Dr) Gabriel Oladele Olutola paid him courtesy visit in Benin City yesterday.
Receiving the delegation, Governor Oshiomhole reiterated the determination of the State Government to continue to encourage educational institutions in the State in their quest to provide quality education for the people.
Oshiomhole said, “Edo State Government will continue to encourage Samuel Adegboyega University along with other private initiatives. I believe that Nigeria need more educational institutions. Our population is growing at a rather high rate and the projection is that we will soon become of the most populated country in this planet and in a world that is knowledge driven, that is knowledge based and is increasingly digitalized, the power of nation state to compete within states is a function of the quality of your human character and the place of education there is quite clear.
“So I think even if there could be challenges in making a generalized appeal that supporting universities that are owned and managed by faith organization like the Apostolic Church of Nigeria has a compelling argument which everybody should support. I would lend my voice, I will speak to the honorable Minister of Education to look at the merit of supporting certain universities that are not primarily profit motivated but are fired by commitment to contribute to the development of our manpower and federal and state government should provide support that shows that we recognize the contributions of those universities.”
He continued: “I like to congratulate you, however belated on the occasion of your first convocation ceremony and I deeply regret the fact that due to unavoidable reason, it was practically impossible for me to be there. I was excited at the fact that what started a few years back as a university is already producing high level man power and helping to contribute to the growth and development, not only of Ogwa which is the host community or Edo State, where it is located but the entire country.
“It is easy to dream as they say. The grave yard is full of dreams that were never realized. Though many may have taken it for granted that once a university get started, it will naturally succeed. Growing up in this environment with all the challenges in the environment, tilting problems, etc, I imagine the quality of leadership and the amount of sacrifice that you had to make to see the university through to be able to graduate this first set of graduates and to sustain the mission and vision of the university.
“ So I like to congratulate you for your leadership, congratulate the chairman of the council and of course the vice chancellor and management, staff and students of the university for all they have done to get the university to stand on a very sound footing. Sometimes, the quality of the beginning matters because it shapes the future of the university.”
According to the Governor, “it takes a large heart and a deep commitment to chose to locate a university in what some might even describe as a remote village. It shows a clear vision that today village can be tomorrows city. It takes a level of convocation and courage knowing that there are huge challenges in locating a university in a rural area compared to if it were located in a big city.
“Whatever concession we have provided by waving in whole all the charges that were due and whatever modest financial grant that we gave, it is nothing compared with the amount of sacrifice and the courage that the church has invested to chose to locate the university in that place.
“If I were to go into Nigeria geo politics, when you have Adegboyega, which appears to be someone from the South West, choosing to locate a university in Edo State, nothing shows greater conviction about the oneness of our people and the need to see beyond narrow ethnic, religious and primordial sentiments in contributing to the growth and development of our country. So whatever anybody can do to encourage people to do the sort of thing you have done, I think it goes a long way to building bridges of unity and promoting oneness among our people. Those actions more than speeches will do more to consolidate our national unity. For a country that is bogged down by all kinds of primordial sentiments, I think Samuel Adegboyega University is a bold statement to the oneness of our country.”
Oshiomhole said, “let me also thank you for your decision to award me Honorary Doctorate Degree in A Public Administration. I am most humbled by your decision and I have no hesitation whatsoever in accepting it. I am very humbled and I am very grateful.
“I also believe that given current economy crisis, the high cost of procuring dollars to pay school fees for people who have their children in foreign universities, the need and demand for high quality university education in the foreseeable future will continue to increase and so, the more local opportunity that institutions like yours provides, to compete with government owned universities, which I believe is a very healthy competition because at the end of the day, it helps government to beep up and create more outlets for people who wants university education.
“I have heard your request that we should join in the lobby to recognize that private universities are contributing to national effort and that they should all benefit from some form of public support by way of infrastructure through TETFUND. I believe there is a lot of merit in it and knowing that yours is a faith based organization, it is not primarily profit motivated, I think that is even a more compelling reason that if government is unable to support all kind of private universities, that for faith based universities, the profit they make does not go to individual pocket, it goes to the institution and the institution is committed to investing the money back to developing the university.”
Earlier, the President, Apostolic Church of Nigeria, and Chancellor, Samuel Adegboyega University, Ogwa, Pastor (Dr.) Gabriel Oladele Olutola JP said, “you have brought accountability and transparency into stewardship in Edo Sate. You have been found to be consistently faithful in all assignments given to you, whether as former President of the Nigerian Labor Congress, NLC or as a State Governor. I am trusting God to elevate you to a higher level where more Nigerians will benefit from your dedicated service. The Apostolic Church Nigeria is very proud of you.
“I like to appreciate the positive contributions of His Excellency towards sustainable and rapid transformation of the country as evident in your prudent management of the finances of Edo State, massive investment in basic infrastructure, commitment to quality education and your irrevocable commitment to the welfare of public officers.
“Equally, I have to express the profound appreciation of the Church to your Excellency for the support being given to Samuel Adegboyega University (SAU), Ogwa by your administration. Specifically, we appreciate the grant of 25million naira given in August 2011 and a waiver of the fee payable for the certificate of occupancy in respect of the land freely given to the University by the Ogwa University. The main hall off the University is named after his Excellency, as ‘Adams Oshiomhole Hall’. My God shall bountifully reward your labor of love.”
He said, “your Excellency, it is my delight to inform you that having considered your contributions and encouragement to the development of Samuel Adegboyega University in Particular and your positive input to national development, the proprietorship of Samuel Adegboyega University on the recommendation of the Governing Council and the Board of Trustee approved that your Excellency be Awarded Doctorate Degree in Public Administration, (DPA) Honoris Causa of Samuel Adegboyega at a special convocation of the university in the first quarter of 2016.
The Management of SAU however appealed to the Governor to assist the University in drawing the presence of TETFUND and NDDC to the university to aid in providing infrastructural development for the institution and other private tertiary institutions in the state.”
