Oyebanji’s Wife Teaches Students for Free at EKSU

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti

The wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, yesterday began a community service at the Ekiti State University (EKSU) where she has offered to teach students of Education Management for free, as a means of contributing to their development.

The first lady was in the classroom for about two hours to share knowledge with the students in the university where she began her career as an academic, and taught for 12 years before transferring her services to the University of Ibadan for family reasons.

Oyebanji said her gesture was borne out of her desire to leave her comfort zone in the Government House to do what she knows best-teaching and imparting knowledge on the students.

According to her, she is fulfilling one of the three core values of the academic profession, which include teaching, researching, and community service, noting her being the first lady cannot take her away from her love for students as well as helping to mold their future.

Oyebanji, a senior lecturer at the University of Ibadan, is presently awaiting her associate professorship where she had held various administrative positions and successfully supervised doctorate students.

The governor’s wife had earlier signified her intent to take time off her busy schedule as the first lady to lecture students periodically at EKSU to contribute her quota to the development of students at the state-owned university.

Thereafter, she similarly expressed her readiness to lecture at the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), a gesture seen in some quarters as a model of mentorship service, sacrifice, and humility in power which earned her local and international applause.

The 300-level students in the Department of Education Management at EKSU were thrilled and excited to see the first lady in the class teach them a course, Leadership in Formal Organisations, in which she dwelt on ‘Theories of Leadership’, and entertained a series of questions from the appreciative students.

The students listened with rapt attention as Dr. Oyebanji, who asked the students to see her as their teacher and not as first lady, diligently dissected five theories considered during the EDM 303 class which included Trait Theory, Behavioural Theory, Situational Theory, Contingency Theory, and Path-Goal Theory.

Apart from the questions asked by the students, Oyebanji also gave them opportunities to share their thoughts on issues thrown up in the course of learning various perspectives in theories studied and how they could apply them to situations they find themselves, especially in future leaders.

While urging the students to feel free and bare their minds during the lecture, Oyebanji said one of the aims she wanted to achieve with teaching the course was to inculcate the art of public speaking in the students, especially the female ones, noting that public speaking is an ingredient of leadership and effective communication.

Speaking with journalists in an interview after the two-hour lecture, Dr. Oyebanji said she was fulfilled to be involved in community service at the state university teaching students, describing her interaction with them as worthwhile.

She added that she was contributing her quota to molding the character and shaping the personality of future leaders in her community.

According to her, “I started here as a Graduate Assistant and I worked in this university for 12 years before I relocated to the University of Ibadan where I was before we came to office(Government House). This is my own community service, and I am fulfilled to give it for free in our state university.

“I have taught all my life, and I want to teach here while in office to share my experience with these students. I have taught this course for over 20 years. When I was given the course to teach, I said: ‘Why not, it’s part of my community service’. As lecturers, we have three major areas: teaching, research, and community service, so, what I am doing now is community service to my dear state.

“Since assuming office, it’s not that I am totally disconnected from academic activities. Recently you followed me to UI when I went to attend to my doctorate students and within one year of my assumption of office (as first lady), I have gone to UI and I have graduated four of my PhD students.”

The co-lecturer of the EDM 303 course (Leadership in Formal Organisations) with the first lady, Dr. Omowumi Ayodele, described Dr. Oyebanji’s gesture as motivating, noting that the students were excited to benefit from her intellect, experience, and mentorship.

She said: “Having the first lady around to teach our students is highly motivating. I am highly motivated that I am taking this course alongside her. She is creating a path for the students toward believing that they can be successful.”

Also, a senior academic in the department, Prof. Florence Adebayo, eulogised the first lady for her act of humility in choosing to offer free service at the state university, noting that Dr. Oyebanji has proved her mettle as a mother, a humble academic, a change agent, and a role model to the students.