Fidelis David in Akure
Chairman of the Southern Governors Forum and Governor of Ondo State, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), has said his government would continue to give priority to education in the state to ensure meaningful development.
Akeredolu who stated this, weekend, at the maiden convocation ceremony of the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa (OAUSTECH) said his administration has expended huge investment on education in the last six years.
Explaining that education was the only way of escaping from poverty, he said this alarmed his administration at inception with the deplorable condition of things in the university especially, in terms of roads, buildings and other essential facilities connected to a conducive learning environment.
“This informed our resolve to change the narrative, by immediately commencing a gradual, radical and systematic implementation of the State Government’s Strategic Plan for the university. I am delighted to recall that within our 100 days in office, we facilitated the asphalt overlay of the first phase of the university road network and inaugurated same for use.
“We have also recently approved the construction of a 2.5 kilometre road network for the university, which has achieved about 75% level of completion,” he said, adding that, education was one of the cardinal responsibilities of his administration, and a social debt to the people.
According to the governor, he had to release funds for the completion of some major building projects, which had been abandoned for almost a decade, as part of his administration’s intervention to revive the school.
He listed the projects completed by his administration to include the University Senate Building, the University Library and the University Auditorium, with a promise to complete all similar abandoned projects in batches as the state’s finances improve.
“To this end, our administration has tremendously supported the university’s quest for TETFund funding. Today, we are all happy that the university has started to have the presence of TETFund projects while more opportunities are underway.
“We have also noted that within the last six years of our administration, OAUSTECH, which used to offer courses only in the School of Science, has added courses in two additional schools: School of Engineering and Engineering Technology and the School of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.
“All courses offered by the university in the three schools have been accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC). I commend the university management and Council for these achievements,” Akeredolu stressed.
Equally, Akeredolu commended a former governor of the state, the late Dr. Olusegun Agagu, for his special passion, commitment and magnanimity that made the establishment of the university a reality for the benefit of the entire people of the state and the people of the Ondo State Southern Senatorial District in particular.
The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof Emmanuel Ologunorisa said that a total of 982 graduands from six sets between 2014/2015 and 2019/2020 sessions earned the University’s first degrees in the maiden combined convocation ceremony, saying a total of 26 graduands made First class.
Ologunorisa disclosed that the school in collaboration with the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) commenced the Maritime Academy which will take off by September 2023.
