Vol. V. No. 12 Monday,
30th March, 2009
AAUA
honours Gani
It was a historic occasion
on Thursday, 19th March, 2009 at a Special Convocation ceremony of Adekunle
Ajasin University, Akungba
Akoko as an eminent Nigerian, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, bagged the
Honorary Doctorate degree of Letters (D. Litt.) honoris causa of the
University. Both the Chancellor of the University, HRM, Oba
(Dr.) Gbadebo Bajowa, the Rebuja of Osooro-Land and the
Vice Chancellor, showered encomiums on the awardee.
He was described as an illustrious son of Nigeria, an erudite scholar, a
philanthropist per excellence and a dogged advocate for the down-trodden, who
will not be intimidated in the course of his persistent fight for justice.
Extolling the virtues and
quality of leadership of Chief Fawehinmi, the
Governor of Ondo State and Visitor to the University,
Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, at his
first official visit to the University, pledged total commitment to the funding
and development of the institution. The Visitor vowed to make “AAUA a
word-class rating that is primed to serve as the intellectual power-house of
composite social development in Ondo State”.
Responding, the awardee, represented by his daughter, Barrister Basirat Biobaku, thanked the
Governor and the Management of the University for bestowing on her father the
Honorary Doctorate degree. She said her
father would not renege in his crusade
for the enthronement of the rule of law and good governance, and dogged
determination to defend the interest of the masses at all times.
Dignitaries at the ceremony
included the Deputy Governor of Ondo state, His
Excellency, Alhaji Ali Olanusi
and his wife, former Chancellor of the University, HRM, Oba
(Dr.) Adebori Adeleye, the Olubaka of Oka- Land, former
Pro-Chancellor, Senator (Dr.) Bode Olajumoke, top
State Government functionaries, Royal fathers, friends and associates of the awardee, members of the academia among others.
AN
ADDRESS BY THE CHANCELLOR, HIS ROYAL MAJESTY, OBA GBADEBO BAJOWA, THE REBUJA OF
OSOORO-LAND, ON THE OCCASION OF THE SPECIAL CONVOCATION CEREMONY FOR THE
CONFERMENT OF A HONORARY DOCTORATE DEGREE ON CHIEF GANI FAWEHINMI,SAN, BY THE
ADEKUNLE AJASIN UNIVERSITY, AKUNGBA-AKOKO, ONDO STATE, NIGERIA, ON THE 19TH
MARCH, 2009.
It is with great honour and joy that I welcome this exciting gathering to
this historic ceremony. I am particularly very happy that I am part of this
history-making occasion in honour of our well-beloved
son, Chief Gani Fawehinmi,
SAN. I, therefore, congratulate all of you and myself as living witnesses of
this epoch-making celebration of father-of-all Convocation ceremony of our
time. I wish to thank the State Government once again for my appointment and
the privilege given me to be here today in order to perform the Convocation
rituals as the Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko.
Ondo State,
Nigeria. I say
a big thank you. I would also like to register my appreciation to the
Management, Senate, Security Operatives, staff and students as well as Akungba Community for providing the enabling environment
for academic activities and development. Let me again use this opportunity to
implore all hands to be on deck for the upliftment of
our University.
Your Excellency, today is not a
long-speech-giving day but a day of joy, a day of thanksgiving, a day of
fulfillment of hopes and deserved honours to you in
particular, to the recipient of the honorary doctorate degree and to the entire
people of Nigeria.
Ladies and gentlemen, today is a
day of double congratulations, double celebrations and double honours to our Governor, Dr. Rahman
Olusegun Abayomi Mimiko and our man and our son, Chief Gani
Fawehinmi, SAN. But let me quickly and firstly
congratulate the awardee of the Honorary Doctoral
degree before I divert your attention to our Governor. The man at the moment,
Chief Gani Fawehinmi, let
me proudly say that Ondo State
people love you and that Nigerians are proud of you. You have served your
fatherland, Nigeria,
with love and strength and might. This is why the whole world is standing still
and tall for a man of the people, our hero and our man of honour
and our son of many parts of humanitarian services to all peoples and races,
thus impacting positively on numerous helpless people, poor people and the
common man on the street.
Chief Gani
Fawehinmi, for your contributions to mankind, the
University, the State Government and people from all walks of life are honouring you today. You have overwhelmingly won the hearts
of many people of your generation because of defending the common man in the
street and relentlessly and doggedly fighting for freedom, Peace, justice and
unity. I have the mandate to say loud and clear that Chief Gani
Fawehinmi is a man of honour
in all ramifications. Congratulations! Your decoration today is a testimony
that you are ordained by God to be honoured. It is
also a confirmation that what will be will be. God’s
time is the best. Once again, congratulations.
Your Excellency, ladies and gentlemen,
I am not an orator but kindly permit me to express my joy, my mind, my emotions
because my heart is loaded with happiness and language of joy. I have said it
earlier that today is a double-celebration of honours
and victories, of tall hopes, of bright wishes and of lofty aspirations
fulfilled. Your Excellency, you and the awardee are
the cynosures of eyes and admirations today. What a co-incidence, unspeakable
joy and mutual congratulations! As a royal father I had blessed you before I
came here and I will continue to do so but permit me to also congratulate you
at this forum on your victory at the Court of Appeal in Benin to govern
the State. The will of God is done. The dreams of the people of Ondo
State are fulfilled and I
rejoice with you greatly. And I pray for your success in Jesus name (Ase!).
Before I close my address, ladies
and gentlemen, allow me to let off the other divide of my heart. Three weeks
ago, darkness gathered around the University with the disastrous death of some
students who were on excursion to a sister University in Osun State.
It was a shock and tragedy to not only the University Community but also to the
nation. I feel it as a father in my marrows and as the Chancellor I receive the
news with pains in the atoms and chemistry of my body. I therefore sympathise with the parents, the entire students, the
University Community and register my sorrowful heart in the Register of
condolence of Nigeria
because it is a national disaster! May their premature souls find perfect rest
in the bossom of the Lord (Amen).
Finally, let’s keep our faith in
God who gives and takes and let’s console ourselves that God is the Alpha and
Omega of our lives. He will surely protect us and renew His spirit of love,
joy, mercies and grace in us. Please, rejoice and keep the good works going at
the University in order to witness more development and achievements in all endeavours. Once again, congratulations to all of us on this
rare celebration of the honours and election victory bestowed by God on the awardee and the dynamic and God-fearing Governor of our Sunshine State. Let me also use this occasion to
appeal to all and sundry all over the world to assist us build a first-class
University of our dreams by donating generously monumental projects, cash and
materials for physical and human development. God bless you all.
Thank you.
Monthly
Covenant Prayer
The Monthly Covenant prayer
of the University comes up at 4pm this Thursday, 2nd April, 2009 at
the Olusegun Obasanjo
Multipurpose Hall. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. med. Philip Abiodun enjoins all staff and students to attend.
Orientation
programme for Fresh Students
The 2008/2009 orientation programme for fresh students of AAUA took place between 16th
and 17th March, 2009. The students were charged to shun all social
vices such as cult-related activities and examination malpractices that could
disrupt their careers, as the University’s certificates would only be awarded
to students who are found worthy in learning and in character. The freshers were enlightened through a number of
papers/speeches which were presented at the events, on a wide range of issues
bordering on University administration, Bursary operations, sporting and health
services among others.
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