UI at 60: Clarion call on alumni
It is no longer news
that the premier university of Nigeria-the University of Ibadan , “the first and the best” is 60 years old this year. The reading public is aware that the oldest university has begun a year long diamond anniversary with various activities since January this year which will come to a glorious crescendo on November 17 which is the founder’s day.
Like never before, the grand finale of this 60th anniversary is going to be funfair of scholastic reflections and nostalgic escapade at Ibadan,where, in the spirit of the season, the entire rustic city will be painted red. And, in preparation for the red-letter day, the authorities of the institution, led by the visionary Professor Olufemi Bamiro, are working round the clock to ensure that the anniversary is garnished with U.I. standard and flavour.
But how can there be a festivity of such magnitude without an active participation of the alumni who came to Ibadan from different parts of the country and African continent, thirsty, to drink from the intellectual soothing spring and at the end of their academic voyage, they were manufactured with gold for the world to buy?
It is against this background that this clarion call is being made to all who hold the certificate of the university, all whose employers and employees benefited from Ibadan, all whose children and relatives attended Ibadan, that this is the time for everyone to come together in celebration and appreciation of an institution that has touched our lives one way or the other. Interestingly, they are everywhere; research has confirmed that there is no country across the globe without a U.I. product.
ith the benefit of information and communication technology, if you have access to this information in any part of the world, and you are connected to U.I, then you have to look back.
You say look back for what? Looking back at your Alma Mater with fond memory of good gone old days when you were green and raw at Ibadan! Have you forgotten Agbowo, Sango, Mokola? Don’t you remember Queens’ Hall? What about your own hall of residence? Have you ever brought your wife, children or husband to U.I. for reminiscence and retrospection? You need to come back for flashback. And, this 60th anniversary provides an opportunity for a reunion with faces of old.
On a more serious note, there is a need for every alumnus to reflect on what U.I. has done with a view to giving back. This is a university that has supplied the manpower requirement of the nations; yet, it is deficient of many basic needs. Given its historical pedigree, U.I. has no reason to be poor. Its wealth is in the quantity and quality of its products. This is a time U.I needs every assistance as government alone cannot do it.
Sunday Saanu,
Dept. of Communication and Language Arts,
University of Ibadan.
sundaysaanu@yahoo.com
|
