Don, Others Underscore Role of Alumni in Varsities Growth
Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
The Head of Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan, Prof. Oyefunke Fayehun, has underscored the role of alumni in all round growth of universities especially in the areas of funding and provision of necessary infrastructure.
She said this while receiving the solar inverter batteries worth millions of naira presented by the Class of ‘95 set of the department in her office.
She submitted that funding and provision of necessary amenities that would aid learning should not be left in the hands of the federal government and management of the universities alone, stating that all the relevant stakeholders should lend helping hands.
She said: “ The grant from the federal government is not enough to run the universities giving the prevailing economic situation in the country. The relevant stakeholders including alumni have roles to play in this regard by given back to their respective alma maters.
“The Class of 95 has been supportive to the department. This will not be the first time that they will give back to the department. We are enjoining other sets to do likewise.”
Speaking in the same vein, Prof. Adeyinka Aderinto lauded the initiatives of the Class of 95 set for rising to the need of not only the department but the institution as a whole.
He said: “We have just received the graduating set of 1995. They are celebrating the 30 years of their graduation from our university. They are doing so with a gift of Inverter batteries. This is not the first time they will be doing this. They have done such three or four years back. This is very good for us here. We will be reaching out to the other alumni so that they also can support in similar manner.”
In his brief remarks, the Chairman, Organising Committee of the Class of 95, Mr. Babajide Akinfolajinmi, said the gesture was borne out of their love for their alma mater, saying: “Whatever status we have attained in life is traceable to the University and the Department of Sociology. It is always good to give back to the alma maters hence our decision to present the gift as part of the activities marking the 30th years of our graduation from the school.”
